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Biodiesel FAQ's.
Some of the most Frequently asked questions about Biodiesel:
Can I use Biodiesel in my car? Yes you can. Anyone can use biodiesel in any compression ignition engine without any modifications. You can use it Straight (B100 – 100% Biodiesel) or blended with conventional Petroluem diesel.
Is there Quality Standards for Biodiesel? Yes there is. Biodiesel has standards regulating it's quality just like Conventional petrodiesel or gasoline products have. In America Biodiesel must conform to ASTM D6751 specifications. In Europe the Quality Standard is the EN 14214 and in South Africa it is the Quality standard is SANS 1935:2004. Only use biodiesel that measure up or exceed these standards.
Will Biodiesel Ruin my Engine? No as a matter of Fact Biodiesel will prolong the life of your engine. The better lubricating properties of Biodiesel and the solvent effect that it has will give you a better lubricated and cleaner engine and that will result in less wear and a longer life. Very old engines might have a problem with rubber seals and fuel hoses that disolve in pure Biodiesel, but it is a simple and cheap part to replace.
What is the Difference between Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) and Biodiesel? Biodiesel is a oil or fat that is modified through a process called transesterification. Transesterification is when you take a Triglyceride (like vegetable oil) and in a chemical reaction, using lye as a catalyst, replace the glyreine molecule with methanol to form a Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) which is just another name for Biodiesel. Straight Vegetable oil is unprocessed and it is possible to use it as a fuel in this form but not without making some modifications to the vehicle.
Do I need to Wash the Biodiesel that I Made? To get high-quality Biodiesel that will measure up to and even exceed international standards set for biodiesel and to get biodiesel that will prolong the life of your engine it is absolutely essential to to wash and dry the biodiesel that you made.
What oils can I use to make Biodiesel with? The feedstock available that can be used to make Biodiesel with is near endless. The best feedstock that one can used is Waste vegetable oil because it is a waste product that can be recycled by making Biodiesel from it. See out list of Biodiesel Feedstocks to see all the types of Vegetable oil one can use to make biodiesel with and their Yields.
Will Biodiesel stop Global Warming? Tests all over the world has shown that biodiesel has significantly less harmful emissions than the petroluem diesel that most people use currently. Total Unburned Hydrocarbons – 67% Less. Carbon Monoxide – 48% Less and Particulate Matter 47% Less. Not only does biodiesel have harmful emissions but it also has a closed carbon cycle that means the little Carbon Dioxide that is released when biodiesel is burnt is recycled by the plants used to produce biodiesel with. The US department of energy found that the net reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions is 78% We truly believe that using Biodiesel can reverse the negetaive effects that fossil fuels have on the enviroment.
Will the use of biodiesel cause food prices to rise or mass starvation? It is possible for oil crops to compete with food crops for land and water. If you consider the amount of land not producing as much food as it could and some other countries producing way more food than they use, we don't think making the switch to biodiesel will result in mass starvation or cause food prices to rise. See our discussion on Biodiesel Fuel versus Food.
Have you got a question about Biodiesel that is not answered here...? Why don't you Contact us and we will answer it for you, we would really like to hear from you. Otherwise go to the Biodiesel Forum and get one of the other Members to answer it for you. |
