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 Biodiesel is a renewable diesel replacement fuel that is manufactured from domestically produced oils such as soyben oil, recycled cooking oils, or animal fats. To manufacture biodiesel, these fats and oils are chemically reacted with a short chain alcohol (such as methanol) and a catalyst (sodium hydroxide) to produce biodiesel and a glycerin co-product. Biodiesel can be used alone (B100) or blended with petroleum diesel in any proportion. The most popular biodiesel blends are B20 (20% biodiesel), and B5 or B2. Any diesel engine can operate on these blends with few or no modifications. Biodiesel's superior lubricating properties can reduce wear in diesel engines. Bench scale tests have shown that 1% biodiesel can improve the lubricity of diesel fuel by as much as 65%. The lubricity of biodiesel will become increasingly important because EPA regulations will require the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels in all U.S. highway diesel engines by August 2006. Unfortunately, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels can possess poor lubricating properties. Low levels of biodiesel used as a lubricity additive can help solve this problem. |
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