What is BIODIESEL?

 

 

 

Biodiesel is a clean burning, sustainable, and alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel in not petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Biodiesel is not Raw Vegetable Oil.

 

 

 

Biodiesel is produced through a chemical reaction using plant/animal oil, fats or tallow combined with alcohol and a catalyst. This process removes the harmful component 'glycerin' from the oil thus making a clean fuel to run in any diesel engine.

Engine Changes or Modifications?

 

 

 

No modifications or changes need to be performed on the vehicle in order to use biodiesel in a diesel engine. The common use of biodiesel is in a blend of 20% bioiesel with 80% diesel fuel. This is referred to as B20 Biodiesel.

Environmental Impact

How do biodiesel emissions compare to petroleum diesel?

 

Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel. Of the major exhaust pollutants, both unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are ozone or smog forming precursors. The use of biodiesel results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods used. Based on engine testing, using the most stringent emissions testing protocols required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the U.S., the overall ozone (smog) forming potential of the hydrocarbon exhaust emissions from biodiesel is nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.

 

B20 has demonstrated significant environmental benefits with a minimum increase in cost for fleet operations and other consumers.

 

We Are Environmentally Friendly:

  • We use all processes possible to eliminate environmental waste.
  • Our process for making biodiesel produces ZERO hazardous waste.
  • We recycle all our coproducts in efficient and profitable ways.

Learn More

How Its Made: Biodiesel

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Contact Us Today!

Rio Valley Biofuels
3500 Doniphan Dr
El Paso, TX 79922


Phone: 915-791-8720

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