What is biodiesel made from, besides vegetable oil?
Diesel engines of today have been altered to meet diesel #2 viscosity standards. Straight vegetable oil such as the peanut oil used by Rudolph Diesel in his engine at the turn of the century is much thicker. This is one thing that has kept biodiesel out of the arena for so long. Today, a chemical reaction called transesterification is used to thin the vegetable oil. This reaction removes the glycerol component of the vegetable oil molecule (thick and moisturizing), replacing it with methyl alcohol (methanol). In order to achieve this reaction, the methanol is mixed with sodium or potassium hydroxide (lye) prior to being mixed with the vegetable oil. The end result is crude biodiesel and crude glycerol. This is the basic process. Commercial production often involves additional ingredients. Animal fats are not ideal for biodiesel, due to the low gel point. However, on an aside, the pistons in the elevators, which carry millions of tourists each year to the top of the Eiffel Tower, are lu
