Why produce biodiesel rather than use straight vegetable oil?
The biodiesel production process breaks down the vegetable oil molecule into four smaller molecules which effectively reduces the viscosity of the product, making it similar in constitution to the diesel that we buy at the pump. The biodiesel product, methyl ester, is generally much more acceptable as a fuel as it has a set of proper standards that can be applied which guarantees a minimum quality level. A huge amount of research has been undertaken into methyl ester biodiesel fuel with considerations such as emissions, engine durability, fuel storage and environmental benefits being taken into account. The current conclusion is that biodiesel is the fuel for the future given that engines are being produced with more complex fuel delivery systems to achieve greater performance, cleaner emissions and improved efficiency. Older engines, particularly the indirect injection type, can be run on straight vegetable oil with reasonably good tail pipe emissions and fuel economy but newer engine
