by the Primedia Editors
The benefits that can be derived from biodiesel fuel are truly
extraordinary and it is a fuel source that is changing the face of the
fuel industry. Imagine the day when fuel manufacturers can be released
from their dependence on foreign oil sources; imagine the day when the
world will not be repeatedly abused from oil drilling, spills, and
other sources of environmental damages often associated with the
distribution of fossil fuels. That day has come: biodiesel is the fuel
source that people can use in automobiles and other machines that
currently run on diesel fuel. Further, the use of biodiesel fuel reduces carbon monoxide emissions, hyrdrocarbons, and the formation of acid rain.
Biodiesel
is engineered from waste products, particularly vegetable oil, and it
is an effective waste management process. While many businesses find
it difficult to dispose of the waste vegetable oil they use, biodiesel
offers and effective recycling process: the vegetable oil is converted
into a fuel that can be used in automobiles and other machines.
Biodiesel is essentially a clean burning fuel source: it eliminates
approximately 90 percent of the damaging pollutants now created by oil
use. Plus, biodiesel is a fuel that can minimize the maintenance of
your used car: the cleaner fuel is less destructive on engine parts and thereby increases the longevity of the automobile’s motor.
If Biodiesel fuel is made correctly it can be used in any machine that
makes use of a diesel fuel with absolutely no complications. From
furnaces, to trucks,
from small heaters to cars, biodiesel fuel saves users a considerable
amount of money. Further, diesel can be blended with biodiesel fuel to
increase the overall efficiency of the machines being operated: from a
diesel fuel/ biodiesel fuel mixture based on a ratio of 1:5, 1 being
biodiesel use and 5 representing diesel fuel mix, consumers can reduce
destructive tail pipe emissions as much as 50 to 60 percent! The
benefits to the environment are truly extraordinary, especially when
one considers the damaging effects of global warming.
Biodiesel
fuel can be used for a number of different purposes. Since the fuel is
created from an oil mix, it works as a first-rate lubricant for tools
and helps to keep tools free from rust. Some biodiesel mixtures are
excellent for stain removal in clothing, and biodiesel fuel can be used
for wood treatment. Certain oil lanterns that have thick wicks with
loosely woven material can be operated with biodiesel fuel. Further,
some stoves can even be operated with biodiesel as a fuel source. In
addition, there are states using biodiesel in generators, commercial
diesel equipment, and marine vessels.
The making of biodiesel
fuel is fairly simple but it is not a task that should be taken on
until the consumer is 100 percent certain about the entire process.
Consumers have to use a number of different chemicals to make biodiesel
fuel and they should fully understand how to properly handle the
chemicals before they used them. The utmost safety must be used when
making the fuel. Basically, biodiesel fuel is made with vegetable oil,
methanol, and lye. The ingredients are mixed together, heated, and
stirred together to ensure a good mix. After the ingredients have been
mixed together the mixture is left sitting for a period of time. The
mixture will have to be skimmed and cleared from the excess glycerin
and acids that rise to the surface and the pH of the mixture is
balanced, the washing process is referred to as transesterification.
Biodiesel
fuel has a shelf life from 4 to 6 years if stored properly. If the
biodiesel is left out without a lid, the fuel will oxidize and will not
last for very long. However, if the fuel is stored in a drum an
appropriately covered, the fuel will last for a considerably long
period of time. In fact, biodiesel fuel can be stored in a variety of
different containers including containers made out of aluminum,
fiberglass, fluorinated plastic, fluorinated polyethylene, fluorinated
polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene, silicone, steel, Teflon and Viton.
In addition, biodiesel fuel is not flammable, making storing the
product a safe endeavor.
New cars
can be operated with biodiesel fuel with no modification of the
vehicles. Nevertheless, once a vehicle is operated using biodiesel
fuel, the vehicle will need to get checked out six months after the
fuel’s use begins to insure that the hoses are working correctly. If
not, the hoses can be inexpensively replaced. For those individuals
that have no desire to make their own biodiesel fuel, fuel
manufacturers are beginning to make biodiesel fuel accessible at the
pump. In fact, an Oahu plant in Hawaii opened a plant offering
biodiesel fuel in December 2006 and with the benefits that can be
derived from the use of the fuel, consumers are bound to witness easy
access of biodiesel fuel at the pump in the future.
This article was written exclusively for Ask Patty by the Editors of Motor Trend, Truck Trend, Diesel Power Magazine and Internet Auto Guide.