Biodiesel

1. Biodiesel Christian Andry

2. What is it? • Clean burning alternative fuel made from renewable resources. • Does not originally contain petroleum, but can be mixed with it to create a biodiesel blend. • Can be used in standard diesel engines with little or no modifications to the original engine. • Easy to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur.

3. How does it work? • Although it is made from vegetable oils, and scientifically named “mono-alkyl esters.” Biodiesels work just like diesel, but only in diesel engines. • Biodiesel blends are abbreviated Bxx, with the “xx” standing for a percentage of pure biodiesel. • B100 is pure biodiesel, and B20 is the most common blend (20% biodiesel) . • Running on biodiesel is almost the same as running on diesel with the exception that you are using a renewable and clean resources that is at a much less cost to you and the environment.

4. Advantages • Nontoxic (no sulfur) • Biodegradable • Safer to handle • Already can be used in many of today’s vehicles (smooth transition) • Cut reliance on fossil fuels • Easy to make • Better for engines

5. Disadvantages • Currently produced from corn, which could make food prices rise and contribute to hunger in the world • Less energy and more expensive than regular diesel. • Releases nitrogen oxide, which contributes to smog • Still can contribute to global warming • Significant problems at low temperature. • Susceptible to water contamination.

6. Environmental Impacts • Contributes far less carbon dioxide to the Greenhouse effect • Contains no sulfur • In the United States, biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have successfully completed the Health Effects Testing requirements (Tier I and Tier II) of the Clean Air Act (1990) • Easily biodegrades into the environment. • Still contributes to global warming/greenhouse effect with carbon dioxide, in addition to releasing nitrogen oxide which contributes to smog.

7. Development • Very easy to develop, involving little more than the formation of vegetable oil. • Resources to make biodiesel are readily available in U.S. (corn, standard diesel for blending, ect.) • U.S. already has the capacity to produce more than 50 million barrels annually.

8. Reducing Oil Reliance • Plentiful and renewable energy source to reduce U.S. reliance on oil. • However, it has a lower energy yield, and even contributes more to smog formation and related harmful chemicals than gasoline. • Gasoline counterparts are more efficient with their energy usage, and some even with tailpipe emissions.