That is a great question. A totally 100% answer may never be given - as long term effects we may never know. But we do know that Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. Biodiesel burned in a conventional diesel engine will have a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter compared to regular diesel fuel.
Also the exhaust emissions of the sulfur oxides and sulfates from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to regular diesel fuel.
Based on engine testing, using the most stringent emissions testing protocols required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the US, the overall ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions from biodiesel was nearly 50% less than that measured for diesel fuel.
BioDiesel is a renewable resource that is used in diesel engines as a petroleum alternative. It is Clean Burning fuel, produced from plant matter such as canola or soybeans. It can be mixed with petroleum (i.e. diesel fuel) to create a wide variety of blends. These are usually labeled with a ‘B’ and the percentage of BioDiesel the blend contains. Therefore a B10 would contain 10% BioDiesel and a B100 would be 100% BioDiesel.
To operate a diesel engine with BioDiesel you require little or no modifications. BioDiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Flowability may a concern in colder temperatures - although you can either lower the percentage of BioDiesel in your blend, or add a pre-heater to your system.
BioDiesel is made through a process called transesterification. What this does is separate the glycerin from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products, one being methyl esters (which is the official name for BioDiesel) and the other being glycerin. Glycerin is a valuable bi-product that can be used in soaps and other products.
Here is some great info by Red Williams which he recently sent out in his weekly email from SAC inc.
Questions about Ethanol
It was almost inevitable that after the over blown enthusiasm about ethanol that there would be questions raised about its long term place in the economy. There is no doubt it will play an important role into the future but quite possibly it wont be such a huge part of the fuel industry as first imagined and mandated by President Bush.
The food-fuel debate may not be as defining a factor as some suggest but certainly there is a lot of adjusting in much of the grain and grain dependent industries that were not predicted in the early stages. As corn supplies were drained off for fermentation into ethanol the prices increased and acres were diverted from wheat and soy beans. The market spike in grain prices may or may not be sustainable if the building of ethanol plants slows. But in the meantime the beef and pork feeding industries are drowning.
One of my associates predicts that ethanol will continue to be competitive as a gasoline additive, but not as a gasoline replacement. A comment that bears some thought. Another scientist proposed to me that a serious debate is required on the efficiency of growing crops in the temperate zone for fermentation as opposed to being a source of high quality starches and proteins for food and other industrial processes.
As suggested, it is not surprising that many questions would be raised about the simplistic approach of substituting ethanol for gasoline. On the other hand, researchers are busy making improvements in producing ethanol, and also converting it to other energy materials. In the short term ethanol plants will be built, although more slowly than before, and the industry as a whole will take its place as a key value-adding opportunity.
C.M. (Red) Williams, President
Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation Inc.