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Hitting the Road with Biodiesel
Many alternative sources for industrial and consumer-level energy sources are being researched for possible development.
Hitting the Road with Biodiesel
The clamor for new ways to power the machinery that drives the world has hit an all-time high with the current economic and environmental issues that face each and every nation on the planet. As these issues become even more topical due to the latest global forums on pollution and the dependency on oil as the fuel of choice, many alternative sources for industrial and consumer-level energy sources are being researched for possible development.
One of the more often-discussed alternative fuel sources is biodiesel. The name itself can be misleading as biodiesel actually contains no petroleum, although it does have the ability to be blended along with petroleum diesel in order to create several energy produces that can be used in compression-ignition engines, commonly known as diesel engines.
Biodiesel is the result of a chemical process, called transesterification, that separates glycerin from fats or vegetable oils. This process produces a methyl ester - which is the proper name for biodiesel - and the glycerin, which of course is used in various soaps and topical lotion products. The fact that biodiesel is not in fact a petroleum product is one reason it has been touted as a sensible alternative fuel resource.
According to most in the biodiesel industry, the benefits in using their product are many. Fuel-grade biodiesel is the one and only alternative fuel, in their estimation, to have passed the strict health effect test standards of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. They also point to the acceptance by the Environmental Protection Agency of biodiesel fuel as a registered motor fuel that can be sold and distributed as a viable alternative energy source.
Although biodiesel does have its detractors among some environmental groups because it still needs to incorporate a petroleum element (diesel) to be used as a motor fuel, there are some seeming advantages to its use. It is made from renewable energy sources, like soybeans and other vegetables, has been proven to have lower emission levels than standard petroleum-based fuels, and in its natural form is non-toxic and bio-degradable.
As the world begins to look for acceptable alternative energy resources, many are already “filling it up” with biodiesel in their cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, either directly from distributors or at one of a small number of pumping stations that are now open for business.
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