What Is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is natural and comes from the Earth
Biodiesel is a natural fuel converted from plant or animal oils, and others mixed with ethanol and blended with mineral oil in different quantities. It is completely biodegradable and it can be used as an alternative fuel in almost every engine and motor. Biodiesel types are divided into three generations:
- First generation biodiesels or conventional biodiesels are biodiesels made from sugar, starch, and vegetable oil.
- Second generation biodiesels are more complex and developed. They are made from organic waste to reduce the requirements of its production
- Third generation biodiesels are made from different types of algae so no crops are actually needed.
History of Biodiesel
Biodiesel is actually quite old. The first biodiesel experiment was conducted by E. Duffy and J. Patrick in 1853. The first engine, created by Rudolf Diesel, started working in the 10th of August, 1893. But it was only run by peanut oil. Since then the amazing invention of biodiesel has grown and developed exponentially introducing different kinds of bio fuels derived from a wide variety of vegetable and animal oils in three generations.
Although biodiesel is well known now, it wasn't always this way. As you noticed, biodiesel is quite old, but you've only heard of it recently haven't you?
Why is that?
This is because, although in late 1970's the interest in it increased a little, biodiesel has always received the status of "alternative" energy source and, naturally, alternatives never receive much interest. This kept true until not so long ago, when awareness about the planet's status and increasing deterioration started to surge and grow. People started to worry about the environment and desperately wanted to reduce their carbon footprints.
This is when biofuels in general came back to life and with them, biodiesel. More ideas and projects developed and in the blink of an eye, around 52 countries in the world are making at least a 5% blend of biodiesel mandatory in every diesel.
Biodiesel is growing at an increasingly fast rate and people have to know what everything is about.
Although biodiesel is well known now, it wasn't always this way. As you noticed, biodiesel is quite old, but you've only heard of it recently haven't you?
Why is that?
This is because, although in late 1970's the interest in it increased a little, biodiesel has always received the status of "alternative" energy source and, naturally, alternatives never receive much interest. This kept true until not so long ago, when awareness about the planet's status and increasing deterioration started to surge and grow. People started to worry about the environment and desperately wanted to reduce their carbon footprints.
This is when biofuels in general came back to life and with them, biodiesel. More ideas and projects developed and in the blink of an eye, around 52 countries in the world are making at least a 5% blend of biodiesel mandatory in every diesel.
Biodiesel is growing at an increasingly fast rate and people have to know what everything is about.