Fact Pack

Biodiesel Basics

• Biodiesel is a biodegradable, combustible liquid fuel derived from new or used vegetable oils or animal fats that meets American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications D6751.
• Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Low blends of biodiesel can be used in any normal internal combustion diesel engine with no modifications. Higher blends of biodiesel (over 20%) may require minor modifications. (Normally, modifications required for use of pure of high blends of biodiesel include the replacement of rubber fuel hoses and pump seals with a compatible elastomer. There are also some issues regarding engine warranties when using biodiesel blends over 20%. It is therefore important to check with the manufacturer before using higher blends of biodiesel.)
• Biodiesel can be used alone or it can be mixed with regular petroleum diesel fuel in any concentration.
• Neat biodiesel (100% biodiesel) has been designated an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Biodiesel Is Better for the Environment

Nationwide use of a two percent biodiesel blend fuel for all on-road diesel fuel sold in the U.S. would:

• Reduce carbon monoxide emissions by more than 35 million pounds annually;
• Reduce ozone-forming hydrocarbon emissions by almost 4 million pounds annually;
• Reduce hazardous particulate matter (PM) emissions by almost 3 million pounds annually; and
• Reduce acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 3 million pounds annually.(3)

Although biodiesel does exhibit an increase of nitrogen oxide emissions compared to regular petroleum diesel, this does not subtract from the benefits of the Biodiesel Fuel Act. Nitrogen oxide is one of the three main contributors of smog, along with hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Smog is formed from a complex set of interactions between the three molecules, with sunlight as the catalyst. The impact of increased nitrogen oxide emissions are therefore mitigated by the much larger reductions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions. In addition, research is currently being conducted on ways to reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions associated with the use of biodiesel.(4)

Biodiesel Reduces Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gasses, is a trans-boundary gas, which means that, after it is emitted by a source, it is quickly dispersed in our atmosphere by natural processes. Therefore, when examining the effects of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, the location of the source is not as important as the overall quantity of CO2 associated with the life-cycle of the fuel. The life-cycle includes all of the processes involved with the fuel – from the production to the combustion. B100 reduces life-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 78.5% compared to petroleum diesel.(4)

Biodiesel Is Safe

• As an oral toxin, biodiesel is ten times less toxic than table salt.(5)
• One hundred percent biodiesel biodegrades four times faster than regular petroleum diesel.(6)
• The flashpoint (defined as the temperature at which a substance will ignite) of biodiesel is 300°F compared to 125°F for petroleum diesel. This means that biodiesel is safer to transport and store than petroleum diesel.(5)

Production of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is produced from new and used vegetable oils and animal fats right here in the United States. The fats and oils are filtered and treated to produce fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel). There are three primary methods for producing biodiesel from fats and oils:

1. Base catalyzed transesterifaction;
2. Direct acid catalyzed tranesterification; and
3. Conversion of the oil to its fatty acids and then to biodiesel.(7)

All three processes are relatively simple and require no unusually toxic substances.

There are no wasted or dangerous byproducts resulting from the production of biodiesel. All of the end products can be easily sold or reused to produce more biodiesel. The two primary end products in the production of biodiesel are glycerol and biodiesel itself. The glycerol can be sold to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies.

(8)

United States Oil Consumption

• The U.S. imports 58% of the oil used in the country.(9)
• Diesel fuel is the second most consumed petroleum product in the U.S. (gasoline is the highest). In 1999, highway diesel accounted for 12 percent of total petroleum consumption.(10)
• In 2002, diesel fuel accounted for almost 23% of total vehicle fuel consumption in the United States.(11)

History

The diesel engine was invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel in the late 1800s. Dr. Diesel designed the engine to run on a wide variety of fuels, including vegetable oil. When he introduced his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, it ran on 100 percent peanut oil.(12)

Sources:
(1) “Biodiesel Emissions.” National Biodiesel Board. 5 October 2003 <http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/emissions.PDF>.
(2) Morris, R.E., A. K. Pollack, G. E. Mansell, C. Lindhjem, Y. Jia, and G. Wilson. “Impact of Biodiesel Fuels On Air Quality And Human Health.” U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Altenative Fuels Data Center. May 2003. 5 March 2004 <http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/pdfs/33793.pdf>.
(3) “National Low-Blend FAQ.” National Biodiesel Board. 5 October 2003 <http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/lowblendFAQ.PDF>.
(4) Sheehan, John, Vince Camobreco, James Duffield, Michael Graboski and Housein Shapouril. “An Overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Life Cycles.” A joint study by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Energy. May 1998. 5 March 2004 <http://www.afdc.doe.gov/pdfs/3812.pdf>.
(5) “Environmental and Safety Information.” National Biodiesel Board. 5 October 2003 <http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/Envi&Safetyinfo.PDF>.
(6) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Clean Alternative Fuels: Biodiesel.” March 2002. 9 October 2003 <http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/biodiesel.pdf>.
(7) “Biodiesel Production and Quality.” National Biodiesel Board. Last updated March 11, 2002. 9 October 2003 <http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/prod_quality.pdf>.
(8) “Biodiesel Production.” National Biodiesel Board. 9 October 2003 <http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/Production.PDF>.
(9) “United States Country Analysis Brief.” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Page Last Modified: October 23, 2003. 28 September 2003 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html>.
(10) U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. “The Transition to Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Fuel: Effects on Prices and Supply.” May 2001. 28 September 2003 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/ulsd/pdf/ulsd.pdf>.
(11) “Table 10. Estimated Consumption of Vehicle Fuels in the United States, 1992-2001 (Thousand Gasoline-Equivalent Gallons).” Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. September 2002. 5 March 2004 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/datatables/table10.html>.
(12) “The Biodiesel Info Page.” The Veggie Van Organization. 16 October 2003 <http://www.veggievan.org/biodiesel/index.php>.