What is biodiesel
Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel made from vegetable oil or rendered
animal fat. In the United States, the most common feedstock for biodiesel is
soybean oil. Other good biodiesel feedstock's include canola oil, jatropha and
of course waste vegetable oil.
Biodiesel is most commonly produced during a chemical reaction between
the oil, an alcohol and lye. This reaction is called a transesterfication
reaction, the byproducts of which are glycerin and methyl esters which are what
we call biodiesel. Biodiesel produced from vegetable oil or rendered animal fat
is also called Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME)
Advantages to using biodiesel
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from renewable resources, and:
- can be produced from crops grown by American farmers
- is a clean burning fuel that reduces harmful emissions such as CO,
CO2 and SOx
- helps reduce dependence on foreign oil
- is nontoxic and biodegradable
· The price is competitive with #2 diesel fuel with little change in fuel
economy
· Blends up to 20% biodiesel (B20) can be used in any diesel engines
Biodiesel Quality Standards
Biodiesel quality is vitally important to the people running biodiesel as
well as the image of biodiesel fuel as a quality alternative fuel.
ASTM D6751, the biodiesel quality standard
In the United States biodiesel quality is assured by ASTM standard D6751. All
diesel fuel commercially sold in the US must meet ASTM D6751 standards.
The ASTM standards for biodiesel appear below.
Table from ASTM D6751
BQ 9000 accreditation
The National Biodiesel Board's BQ 9000 voluntary biodiesel quality
accreditation program ensures that biodiesel quality is maintained after
production through delivery and at the pump. Biodiesel producers that meet
BQ9000 accreditation requirements can become BQ9000 accredited producers.
Biodiesel marketers can become BQ9000 certified marketers. Accredited producers
and marketers can be identified through the
NBB's website and by the logos that appear below.
BQ9000 official seals
UT BIODIESEL TESTING GUIDE
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