Is Biodiesel the same thing as raw vegetable oil ?
No raw vegetable is much thicker, and is totally different. Biodiesel has been put through the process of Transesterification that basically separates the thick parts of the oil out and leaves Biodiesel. Here’s more information from the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboraties) Raw or refined vegetable oil, or recycled greases that have not been processed into biodiesel, are not biodiesel and should be avoided. Research shows that vegetable oil or greases used in CI engines at levels as low as 10% to 20%, can cause long-term engine deposits, ring sticking, lube oil gelling, and other maintenance problems and can reduce engine life. These problems are caused mostly by the greater viscosity, or thickness, of the raw oils (around 40 mm2/s) compared to that of the diesel fuel for which the engines and injectors were designed (between 1.3 and 4.1 mm2/s). To avoid viscosity-related problems, vegetable oils and other feedstocks are converted into biodiesel.
No! Biodiesel is produced from any fat or oil such as soybean oil, through a refinery process called transesterification. This process is a reaction of the oil with an alcohol to remove the glycerin, which is a by-product of biodiesel production. Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Biodiesel that meets ASTM D6751 and is legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency is a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution. Raw vegetable oil cannot meet biodiesel fuel specifications, it is not registered with the EPA, and it is not a legal motor fuel.
