biodiesel

Currently biodiesel is produced mainly from field crop oils throughout Europe and used widely in a range of diesel vehicles not easily found in the U.S. The fuel produced in Hawaii by Pacific Biodiesel, Inc. is made totally from recycled cooking oil and used mostly in generators of all sizes, commercial diesel equipment, vehicles, and marine vessels. Since the opening of the Maui processing plant, it has become more economical for pump trucks to deliver used restaurant oil to Pacific Biodiesel than to landfill it, resulting in a landfill diversion total of over 40 tons of used cooking oil per month.In the past decade, biodiesel has been gaining worldwide popularity as an alternative energy source because of its many benefits. Besides the huge landfill reduction benefits, this environment-friendly fuel reduces tailpipe emissions, visible smoke and noxious odors. It operates well in a conventional diesel engine with very few or no engine modifications, and can also be used in a blend with conventional diesel while still achieving substantial reductions in emissions. Because biodiesel is non-toxic, biodegradable and non-flammable, handling and storage are safer than conventional petroleum diesel fuel. And, the cost is competetive with diesel.Technically, biodiesel is Vegetable Oil Methyl Ester. It is formed by removing the glycerol molecule from vegetable oil in the form of glycerin (soap). Once the glycerin is removed from the oil, the remaining molecules are, to a diesel engine, similar to petroleum diesel fuel. There are some notable differences. The biodiesel molecules are very simple hydrocarbon chains, containing no sulfur, ring molecules or aromatics associated with fossil fuels. Biodiesel is made up of almost 10% oxygen, making it a naturally "oxygenated" fuel. For more....www.biodiesel.com