Biodiesel technology is an up and coming process for generating fuel that can replace or form a part of traditional diesel. Biodiesel is created by the chemical interaction of animal fats or vegetable oils with certain types of alcohol, typically methanol.
Biodiesels are an important part of the strategy of many countries for reducing their dependence on foreign oil. Because biodiesels can be locally produced by farmers, it also acts as a means of improving the employment scenario and increasing the income of those involved. Biodiesel technology has come a long way since 1893 and the process has now grown much more efficient.
Biodiesels can be mixed with regular diesel in a 20-80 percent ratio without necessitating a change in the engine. Any higher than that, and it’s usually necessary to modify the engine in order to help it cope with the new fuel and maintain performance levels. There are many caveats when mixing biodiesels with regular fuels because biodiesel has different properties such as solvency and can corrode the pipes used to carry the mixture. Biodiesel technology has also become very popular in the railways with countries all over the world adopting their usage.
Due to the differences arising from individual biodiesel productions, there have been many attempts to apply standards to the quality based on several important parameters.
Biodiesel Production
Biodiesel production is one of the procedures that is not necessarily done on a huge factory level scale. This is because the production of biodiesel is still in its infancy and the components are generated in scattered places all over the country. Without a central source of raw materials, a factory can’t easily scale up and so for now, biodiesel is produced by smaller firms and independent individuals.
The actual process itself is quite simple. It’s merely a question of changing vegetable oil or animal fats into the fuel through a simple reaction assisted by a catalyst. Only three components are really necessary. The vegetable oils themselves, an alcohol – typically methanol – and the catalyst can be any base. Sodium or potassium hydroxide will both do nicely.
Heat provides the last ingredient for the chemical reaction to initiate and complete. The biodiesel will float on top of the final result with the glycerin sinking to the bottom. The glycerin of course needs to be drained away and the remaining biodisel must first be washed and then dried to remove all impurities.
And this is all there is to the simple process of biodiesel production! It’s so easy that many individuals take it up for a hobby. And since it’s so easy to replace regular diesel with it, the hobby can be a significant money saver as well.