What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is the name given to a cleaner-burning alternative fuel produced from recycled cooking oil, tallow, oil seeds, and other plant matter grown for non edible purposes.
The characteristics of the base oil product are chemically enhanced by a procedure called transesterification. Other chemistry is used to improve the combustion and viscosity properties resulting in a highly oxygenated biodiesel.

Biodiesel itself contains no fossil diesel but it is commonly sold blended with varying levels of fossil diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It is typically sold as a B5 ( up to 5% bio diesel and 95% diesel) or B20 ( up to 20% bio diesel and 80% diesel) blend.

Is Biodiesel better for the Environment?
The greenhouse and air quality emissions of biodiesel blends in Australia (Publication - Technical) research report concludes that using pure biodiesel or blending biodiesel with standard diesel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biodiesel also reduces the particulate matter released into the atmosphere , providing potential benefits to human health.

Tailpipe emissions for tallow and used cooking oil based biodiesel when blended with Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel were found to be significantly reduced when burnt as a fuel. For B20 blend such as Freedom Renew Diesel:

• CO2 was lowered by 12.76 g or 18.4%,
• CO was lowered by.02g or 7.1%, and
• Particulate Matter resulted in 4.31 mg PM10 less than 100% Mineral Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel.

Emission Type	Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel	B20 Blend	B100
Carbon Dioxide	69.17g	56.41g	0.00g
Carbon Monoxide	0.28g	0.29g	0.19g
Particulate Matter <10ppm	28.29mg PM10	23.98mg PM10	12.39mg

 

(Source :Page 59, Greenhouse & Air Quality Emissions of Biodiesel Blends in Australia)
International studies concur with these findings Biodiesel Emissions Analysis Program | US EPA.

How is Biodiesel Made?
Biodiesel is made from either vegetable oils, animal fats and/ or recycled cooking oils. The manufacturing process converts these oils and fats into chemicals called fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or more commonly biodiesel. Glycerine is a co-product of the biodiesel manufacturing process.

 

< Back