Biodiesel
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Bioenergy > Biofuels > Liquid biofuels > Biodiesel
| |
| Specific gravity: | 0.87 to 0.891 |
|---|---|
| Kinematic viscosity@ 40°C: | 3.7 to 5.81 |
| Higher heating value(btu/lb): | 16,928 to 17,9961 |
| Sulfur, wt%: | 0.0 to 0.00241 |
| Cloud point °C : | -11 to 161 |
| Pour point °C: | -15 to 131 |
| Iodine number : |
60 to 1351 |
| Cetane Number: | 46 to 701 |
| Lower heating value (btu/lb): | 15,700 to 16,7351 |
| Tropical feedstocks: | coconut oil, oil palm, castor beans, jatropha, pongamia pinnata |
| Temperate feedstocks: | rapeseed, soy beans, sunflower seed |
| Other feedstocks: | algae, waste vegetable oil, Halophytes (Saltwater plants) |
| 1:EERE | |
Biodiesel (also spelled bio-diesel) is diesel fuel produced from plants and plant oils. It is commonly sold blended with diesel derived from petroleum; blends include "B2" (2% biodiesel), "B5" (5% biodiesel), "B10" (10% biodiesel) and "B100" (100% biodiesel).
Contents |
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Biodiesel production
Biodiesel is made by chemically combining a vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol (such as methanol or ethanol) via a process known as transesterification. This produces an alkyl ester of fatty acid, containing an alcohol group attached to a single hydrocarbon chain comparable in length to that of diesel (C10H22 to C15H32)1.
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Co-products
- Glycerin (C3H8O3) (also called glycerol) is the primary co-product of biodiesel production.1
- Glycerin can be used as soap, as well as in the cosmetic industry and its sale can offset the cost of biodiesel production.1
- "The “meal” left in the seed after oil has been removed is currently sold as an animal feed."1
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Characteristics
- Due to the wide variety of oils and fats that can be used to produce biodiesel, there is a greater range in the characteristics of biodiesel fuels than for ethanol fuel."1
- Some oils are shorter or more saturated - characteristics that affect the viscosity and combustibility of the biodiesel.1
- Biodiesel contains 88–95% as much energy as diesel fuel.1
- However, biodiesel can also improve diesel lubricity and raise the cetane value, meaning that in many cases diesel has a similar fuel efficiency.1
- "The alcohol component of biodiesel contains oxygen, which helps to complete the combustion of the fuel, reducing air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons."1
- Biodiesel contains practically no sulfur, so it can help reduce emissions of sulfur oxides."1
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Feedstocks
Biodiesel can be produced from any vegetable oil or animal fat, including waste vegetable oil produced by restaurants. There are also several experimental feedstocks including algae, which can be grown off of various types of waste.
- In Europe, rapeseed oil is the major feedstock used to make biodiesel, with some sunflower oil also used.1
- "In the United States, biodiesel has generally been made from soybean oil as more of this is produced domestically than all other sources of fats and oils combined."1
- In tropical and sub-tropical countries, there are a wider variety of feedstocks being considered including both edible and non-edible oils.
- Edible oil feedstocks inclued palm oil and coconut oil.
- Non-edible oils include jatropha, castor beans and pongamia pinnata.
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Drawbacks
- "Biodiesel blends are sensitive to cold weather and may require special anti-freezing precautions, similar to those taken with standard number-2 diesel."1
- "Long-term storage of biodiesel can be a concern because it may oxidize, although additives can ensure stability."1
- "Biodiesel acts like a detergent additive, loosening and dissolving sediments in storage tanks and also causing rubber and other components to fail; these concerns are typically minimal at low-level blends of biodiesel, and at higher blend levels problems can be avoided with some attention to the materials used in engine fuel injectors and the overall fuel handling system."1
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Biodiesel blend
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Policy/issues
- Biodiesel has become the focus of great interest by everyone from the Government of Myanmar to Willie Nelson due to its potential as a renewable, cleaner fuel. Still biodiesel production lags well behind ethanol production. Many countries have enacted targets or mandates for blending of renewable fuels.
- However, biodiesel is only as sustainable as the systems used to produce the feedstocks.
- For example, 90% of the world's palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia (citation needed), which are also home to some of the largest rainforests and greatest areas of biodiversity left on earth.
- Concerns that rainforests are being cleared to create oil palm plantations have led some in the European Commision to call for a ban on palm oil imports for biodiesel.
- The use of food oils to produce fuel also has concerned many people.
- Countries like India, which has a demand for edible oils greater than supply, is worried about food vs fuel conflicts and is focusing on non-edible oils like jatropha.
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Publications
See books, reports, scientific papers, position papers and websites for additional useful resources.
- What is Biodiesel (pdf) by Shawn P. Conley and Bernie Tao; Purdue University, December 2006.
- Biodiesel Quality: Is All Biodiesel Created Equal? by Shawn P. Conley and Bernie Tao; Purdue University, December 2006.
- Is Biodiesel as Attractive an Economic Alternative as Ethanol? by Allan Gray Department of Agricultural Economics; Purdue University, December 2006.
- Biodiesel 2020: A Global Market Survey (Published October 2006.)
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News
- "Australia's largest biodiesel plant puts production on hold" from Biofuels International, 14 December 2007. As prices for palm oil have doubled within the past twelve months, the Australian company Natural Fuel Ltd. has put "production on standby at the country's largest biodiesel plant, pending lower feedstock prices."
- San Francisco Fleet is All Biodiesel from the New York Times, 14 December 2007, the mayor announced that the city has completed a year-long project to convert its entire vehicle fleet to biodiesel created from midwestern soy oil.
- Asia Pacific Region biodiesel sector buoyant says Frost & Sullivan Biofuel Review, 12 December, 2007: Strong support from regional governments has created a strong domestic market for biodiesel with consumption at 410,000 gallons in 2006 and a 50% expected increase by 2013.
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Organizations
- European Biodiesel Board (Europe-wide)
- Biodiesel Association of Australia - Industry organization representing Australian biodiesel producers.
- National Biodiesel Board - USA Biodiesel industry organization
- American Oil Chemists' Society (USA)
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Educational resources/Tutorials
- Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial - "make your own fuel to run in diesel engines."[1]
- Make Your Own Biodiesel - from the website Journey to Forever
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Events
- 2-3 February 2008, Kissimmee, Florida, USA: 5th Sustainable Biodiesel Summit (SBS) - "the place to be to learn why sustainability is important to the industry, share technical experience and exchange best practices tailored specifically to sustainable biodiesel production and distribution." (Themes: biodiesel, sustainability)
- 3-6 February 2008, Orlando, Florida, USA: National Biodiesel Conference & Expo 2008. (Theme: biodiesel)
- 6-8 February 2008, Mexico City, Mexico: 4th Annual Biofuels Americas Conference & Expo 2008. (Theme: biofuels)
- 10-13 March 2008, Midrand, South Africa: 3rd Annual African Biofuels. (Themes: Africa, biofuels)
- 5-7 June 2008, Chennai, India: Non-Edible Feedstocks for Biodiesel - Workshop and Fuel-Crop Plantation Visit. (Themes: biodiesel, oil crops)
- 19-21 October 2008, Beijing, China: 4th World Biofuels Symposium. (Themes: biofuels, ethanol, biodiesel)
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References
1Biofuels for Transportation (draft) (2006, Worldwatch Institute), p.13-14. Used with permission.
| Biodiesel | edit | |
| Biodiesel production | Biodiesel companies Biodiesel producers by country | Biodiesel organizations | ||
| Biodiesel feedstocks: Currently in use: soybeans | palm oil | coconut oil | rapeseed | sunflower seed | castor beans | jatropha | karanj | jojoba | waste vegetable oil | animal fat | ||
| Currently in research and development: algae | halophytes (saltwater plants) | ||
| Types of bioenergy | edit | |
|
Gases: Biopropane | Biogas | Synthetic natural gas | Syngas | ||
