Indispensable Guidelines For Revealing Biodiesel Through Questions And Answers

Q. Will Biodiesel harm my engine?
A. Biodiesel will work in a conventional petro diesel engine with no problems at all. Multiple agencies have tested this combination over millions of miles and in every circumstance. Bus fleets and commercial haulage companies have been using biodiesel in their operations for many years and reporting great success.

Q. Is Biodiesel experimental?
A. No, it has been in widespread use since the 1980s and has become more accepted in the United States over the last 10 years. Biodiesel actually dates back to the 1930s when it was originally mooted, but the process of converting vegetable oils into this fuel was perfected in the 80s.

Q. Does the government accept this alternative fuel?
A. The Clean Air Act, subject to the 1990 modification, recognises biodiesel as the only certified alternative fuel. Further, the EPA authenticates and certifies bio diesel fuel.

Q. Where can I find biodiesel?
A. There are now 14 major production facilities in the US and a number of distribution channels. In addition, many hundreds of smaller operations exist in localities around the nation. As diesel engine cars become more widespread, additional facilities will emerge.

Q. What about using conventional vegetable oil?
A. Absolutely not, vegetable oil must be converted through transesterification into biodiesel fuel first. Alcohol is used with a catalyst to extract the liquid used as biodiesel.

Q. What about the cold weather?
A. Biodiesel may gel in extreme conditions in similar fashion to petro diesel. Employ the same precautions when the weather turns particularly cold.

Q. Is this fuel good for the environment?
A. Our planet is plagued by carbon emissions and it is good to know that biodiesel is essentially carbon neutral. As biodiesel is fundamentally extracted from vegetable crops which were previously carbon “sinks,” the fuel is far better for the environment than conventional petroleum, which is extremely high in toxic greenhouse gas emissions.

Q. Will I have to worry about clogged filters?
A. Biodiesel has some solvent properties and may dissolve certain deposits which have built up on your tank wall or within your pipes. These deposits could then become trapped in filters and it is advisable to clean or change your filters when you first convert from conventional diesel to biodiesel, making way for a cleaner running, longer lasting engine.

Q. Is it okay to make biodiesel at home?
A.There are many people successful at making homemade biodiesel. As long as you follow the essential safety advice and use common sense, making biodiesel is not particularly difficult. This can be a great way of making a difference, environmentally!

Q. As interest in biodiesel increases, will this cause over-harvesting?
A. Biodiesel growth must also be sustainable and must be managed so that harvesting does not cause an imbalance in the availability of agricultural crops, especially as they may represent absorbers of carbon already in our atmosphere. This is a challenge for the industry going forward.