Biodiesel good to know

Biodiesel is biofuel that has similar properties to standard diesel but does less environmental damage when compared to standard diesel used in our cars.

In order to produce biodiesel we need vegetable oils and a chemical process called transesterification.

Every new vehicle can use both standard diesel fuel as well as biodiesel.

Biodiesel is usually not used in its pure form (B100) and is in most cases blended with standard diesel.

Biodiesel creates up to 70% fewer emissions than standard diesel.

Increased biodiesel production is at this point subject of many controversies because biodiesel is mostly produced from food crops which could lead to food shortage and more hunger in the world.

Biodiesel can be also produced from algae but this solution is yet to become commercially viable.

Biodiesel can be also produced from algae

Biodiesel can retain up to 20 times more water than regular diesel which can lead to many issues such as corrosion, harder starting of the vehicle, rotting filters, etc.

Older vehicles may require few modifications in order to be fueled by biodiesel.

Biodiesel is better lubricant than standard diesel.

Biodiesel still costs significantly more when compared with standard diesel.

Standard diesel has more energy content compared to biodiesel which results in better mileage.

Biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable, and much safer to handle when compared with standard diesel.

In 2009, a quarter of total U.S. grain production was used to generate biodiesel.

Biodiesel has significant problems when dealing with lower temperatures.

Biodiesel isn't 100% free of carbon emissions.

United States has the potential to produce more than 50 million gallons of biodiesel per year.