WHAT IS BIODIESEL?

Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from
domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no 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) engineswith
little or no modifications. It is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic,
and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification,
whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The
process leaves behind two products: methyl esters, the chemical name
for biodiesel, and glycerin, a valuable byproduct usually sold for use in
soaps and other products.

It can be produced from most types of vegetable oil--refined, crude or
waste--or animal fat. These substances are collectively referred to as
feedstocks, and vary depending on what part of the world you’re in.
Soybean oil is preferred in United States, while rapeseed oil primarily
used in Europe.

2005-2006 U.S. Soybean production reached 2.9 billion bushels--
enough to produce 4 billion gallons of biodiesel.

Courtesy of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB)