Bio-Diesel: A Cleaner Burning Diesel Alternative

According to the National Biodiesel Board, Bio-Diesel is a cleaner burning fuel source that is an alternative to petroleum based diesel fuel. It is a renewable diesel fuel source produced from resources such as soybean oil and vegetable oil; this fuel can be blended with petroleum diesel, as well as used independently. The most common blend of Bio-Diesel available to consumers today is B20, which is a blend of 20% Bio-Diesel and 80% petroleum diesel. Bio-Diesel is considered a renewable energy/fuel source because it is produced from resources, like soybean oil, which are able to be regenerated or re-grown.

There are many benefits of using Bio-Diesel. This fuel is cleaner burning than its petroleum based competitor, and as such releases far less emissions such as NOx, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and unburned hydrocarbons. In fact, according to Willie Nelson's Biodiesel, using Bio-Diesel could remove 24,000 tons of NOx emissions from the air in the state of Texas alone, every year!

Since this fuel is made from vegetable oils, like soybean oil, it is non-toxic, biodegradable, and contains no sulfur products, unlike its petroleum equivalent. This fuel will also lubricate diesel engines properly; this can not be said for low-sulfur petroleum diesel fuel products.

Bio-Diesel can be used in all diesel engines with little or no modifications. It also has the ability to reduce our dependence on foreign oil sources; this is because it is made in the US from renewable resources such as soybean oil. It also gives American farmers a new and growing, competitive, market for their crops.

In my own experience with Bio-Diesel, I have run B20 numerous times, and have also had the opportunity to use B80 once or twice, in my 1996 Kenworth; each time my fuel mileage has increased significantly, and my engine has had more power, an actual increase in pulling power! I have had no problems using this fuel, and do so at every opportunity.

There are some problems with this fuel, however. Bio-Diesel is a solvent by nature, and will eventually cause certain types of rubber components in fuel pumps, and their hoses to deteriorate. Suppliers will have to be prepared to replace the pumps and hoses as necessary. Bio-Diesel's solvent qualities will also clean fuel lines, injectors, and fuel tanks in engines; this will, at least initially, cause the fuel filters to stop up. Be prepared to change your fuel filter after the first tank or two of Bio-Diesel.

Bio-Diesel also has a higher gel point than petroleum based diesel fuel. B20 will gel at 7 degrees. B100 will begin to gel at 32 degrees. This gel point can, however, be lowered by adding the same anti-gel additives to the Bio-Diesel that are available for petroleum based diesel fuel.

Since Bio-Diesel is still a relatively new fuel source, it is still somewhat hard for consumers to find it. There are many truck stops and stations that sell this fuel to consumers. Many producers and suppliers also sell Bio-Diesel to the public. A listing of where Bio-Diesel can be purchased can be found at: http://www.biotrucker.com/sites/ . This listing of locations is updated as more become available.

Simply by using a B20 blend Bio-Diesel fuel as often as possible would mean that the consumer was using 20% less petroleum diesel than they would with standard diesel fuel alone. If every American currently using petroleum diesel fuel used one tank a week of Bio-Diesel instead, just think how much less dependent on foreign oil and petroleum products our nation would be!