Biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel (/ˈbaɪoʊˌdiːzəl, -ˌdɪzəl/) is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with an alcohol, producing a methyl, ethyl or propyl ester.
Etymology
The term "biodiesel" is a combination of the words "biological" and "diesel". The prefix "bio-" is derived from the Greek word "bios" meaning "life". The term "diesel" is named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who invented the diesel engine.
Production
Biodiesel production involves a chemical process known as transesterification. In this process, the fat or oil is first purified and then reacted with an alcohol, usually methanol, in the presence of a catalyst such as potassium hydroxide. The resulting chemical reaction produces biodiesel and a byproduct, glycerol.
Use
Biodiesel can be used in its pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration in most injection pump diesel engines. Biodiesel has different solvent properties than petrodiesel, and will degrade natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles (mostly vehicles manufactured before 1992), although these tend to wear out naturally and most likely will have already been replaced with FKM, which is nonreactive to biodiesel.
Environmental Impact
Biodiesel has been considered as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. When burned, biodiesel releases less carbon dioxide than conventional diesel. However, biodiesel production can be a source of carbon dioxide emissions, depending on how the feedstock is grown and processed.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Biodiesel
- Wikipedia's article - Biodiesel
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski