Alternative Power

It’s no big secret that the rise in fossil fuel costs has American’s seeking out alternative methods for fueling up their cars. Perhaps you’ve considered shelling out the extra money to purchase a more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle in some faint attempt to pay less at the pump, yet more towards a big motor company.

 

If your last effort at striking oil in your backyard didn’t prove to be a success, then perhaps your inner-scientist is interested in creating your very own alternative fuel right in your kitchen. What you may not know is that the oil in which you fried those potatoes is actually good for more than recycling in a used coffee can.

 

Biodieselathome.net wants you to understand the basic chemical makeup of biodiesel, an alternative fuel derived from vegetable oil. A clean burning fuel that is produced from domestic resources, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines without any modifications, making it the top biodegradable, nontoxic form of accessible fuel.

 

(Fact: common table salt is known to be more toxic than biodiesel fuel itself.)

 

Scientifically speaking, biodiesel is made through the simple chemical process of transesterification (for those of you who missed high school chemistry or have completely forgotten: transesterification is the process of exchanging the alkoxy group of an ester compound by another alcohol) These reactions are catalyzed by the addition of an acid or base. During this process, the glycerin is removed from fat or vegetable oil, leaving behind byproducts, including methyl esters which is the chemical name for biodiesel, and glycerin, which is commonly found in that stuff you use in the shower.

 

Biodiesel completely passed all of the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments as per the Environmental Protection Agency. Because biodiesel fuel is made from renewable resources, it has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel that is used in other vehicles.

 

While it doesn’t require a mad scientist degree or PhD in chemistry to concoct biodiesel at home, it does require a bit of research and tools, most of which can be found in your cupboard. According to Biodieselathome.net, most alternative fuels require special modifications to your engine, but biodiesel is a ready-to-use solution once it’s made.

 

But before you dust off the blender and get to it, be sure you already have a diesel engine, as biodiesel is, as the name suggests, for diesel vehicles. Volkswagen is one of many motor companies that offer the option to go diesel. In fact, according to one auto parts catalog, over 25 manufacturers have made at least 236 different passenger vehicle models with diesel engines from 1960 to 2002.

 

Biodiesel America’s listing on the latest biodiesel cars can be found here.

 

 

Biodieselathome.net

http://www.biodieselathome.net

 

Biodiesel America