Biodiesel Refinery
A biodiesel refinery is the processing plant where vegetable matter, usually vegetable oil is processed for use as fuel. A biodiesel refinery uses a process called transesterification which separates the glycerin from the vegetable oil. The chemical process provides two products, methyl ester which is biodiesel and glycerin a byproduct used in soap as well as other products.
Methyl ester from the biodiesel refinery is an alternative fuel which is clean burning and leaves almost no emissions. It can be blended with regular diesel or as is in a newer diesel engine. It is biodegradable, non-toxic, and comes from a renewable energy source, often soybeans.
Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. The product of the biodiesel refinery has passed the strict emissions tests imposed by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. It is manufactured according to stringent guidelines, and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a legal fuel. It can be legally sold and distributed. This is not true of raw vegetable oil. Biodiesel is no longer an experimental fuel. It has been thoroughly tested in the laboratories and in the battlefield.
A definition of biodiesel is mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids processed from vegetable oils or animal fats which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel is the term which refers to the pure fuel prior to blending with petro-diesel fuel.
As of November 2006, there were 87 plants processing biodiesel. Refinery output reported was 582 million gallons of biodiesel. The product is sold in all fifty states and there is at least one commercial biodiesel refinery in 36 states. In addition, a biodiesel refinery is under construction in 65 locations or is being expanded in 13 additional locations. With the existing plants, the expansions underway and the new construct of plants, production capacity will be a staggering 1.4 billion gallons per year.
The efforts to publicize and popularize biodiesel have been uphill work. Many people are under misconceptions about the quality of the product, the price and about whether major modifications will need to be completed before using biodiesel in their diesel automobile or truck.
Farmers have been among the first to use biodiesel, since many of them realize that by using biodiesel from soybeans, they are helping to market their own products. The advantages of biodiesel have just about made it possible for it to sell itself. Manufacturers of diesel engines state that this biodiesel fuel might be better for the diesel engines that the old petro-diesel. Biodiesel helps to clean the engine making it last longer. You may want to replace fuel filters more often for a while, until the engine has been clear for a day or so.
Biodiesel is being marketed on two fronts: one, it's better for the environment and the economy of this country as well. Second, anything the United States can do to stop or lessen dependence upon foreign oil is going to be beneficial. Every gallon of biodiesel used reduces imports of petro diesel by four gallons.
Methyl ester from the biodiesel refinery is an alternative fuel which is clean burning and leaves almost no emissions. It can be blended with regular diesel or as is in a newer diesel engine. It is biodegradable, non-toxic, and comes from a renewable energy source, often soybeans.
Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. The product of the biodiesel refinery has passed the strict emissions tests imposed by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. It is manufactured according to stringent guidelines, and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a legal fuel. It can be legally sold and distributed. This is not true of raw vegetable oil. Biodiesel is no longer an experimental fuel. It has been thoroughly tested in the laboratories and in the battlefield.
A definition of biodiesel is mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids processed from vegetable oils or animal fats which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel is the term which refers to the pure fuel prior to blending with petro-diesel fuel.
As of November 2006, there were 87 plants processing biodiesel. Refinery output reported was 582 million gallons of biodiesel. The product is sold in all fifty states and there is at least one commercial biodiesel refinery in 36 states. In addition, a biodiesel refinery is under construction in 65 locations or is being expanded in 13 additional locations. With the existing plants, the expansions underway and the new construct of plants, production capacity will be a staggering 1.4 billion gallons per year.
The efforts to publicize and popularize biodiesel have been uphill work. Many people are under misconceptions about the quality of the product, the price and about whether major modifications will need to be completed before using biodiesel in their diesel automobile or truck.
Farmers have been among the first to use biodiesel, since many of them realize that by using biodiesel from soybeans, they are helping to market their own products. The advantages of biodiesel have just about made it possible for it to sell itself. Manufacturers of diesel engines state that this biodiesel fuel might be better for the diesel engines that the old petro-diesel. Biodiesel helps to clean the engine making it last longer. You may want to replace fuel filters more often for a while, until the engine has been clear for a day or so.
Biodiesel is being marketed on two fronts: one, it's better for the environment and the economy of this country as well. Second, anything the United States can do to stop or lessen dependence upon foreign oil is going to be beneficial. Every gallon of biodiesel used reduces imports of petro diesel by four gallons.
