![]() Many stories have been circulating about reduced performance, damage to key components, or even engine failures that are blamed on biodiesel. However, there is also a great deal of concern about the effect of biodiesel on engines. There are many possible reasons to grow or use biodiesel, including economics, support of local industry, and environmental considerations. In this way, farmers are able to "grow"their own fuel (see the Penn State Extension publication Biodiesel Safety and Best Management Practices for Small-Scale Noncommercial Production). The process of making biodiesel is simple enough that farmers can consider producing biodiesel to meet their own needs by growing and harvesting an oil crop and converting it into biodiesel. Many large and small producers have begun producing biodiesel, and the fuel can now be found in many parts of Pennsylvania and beyond either as "pure biodiesel"or a blended mixture with traditional petroleum diesel (e.g., B5 is 5 percent biodiesel, 95 percent petroleum diesel). Biodiesel is much more suitable for use as an engine fuel than straight vegetable oil for a number of reasons, the most notable one being its lower viscosity. Practically speaking, this usually means combining vegetable oil with methanol in the presence of a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide). Biodiesel is an engine fuel that is created by chemically reacting fatty acids and alcohol. ![]()
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