Biodiesel is derived from fats of vegetable and animal origin methyl ester. Biodiesel is fully biodegradable. 30 days microorganisms recycle 99% of biodiesel in soil or in water. This chemical is absolutely safe. Unlike mineral or other alternative fuels, biodiesel is easy to produce and also easy to use. Even Rudolf Diesel presented the diesel that runs on fuel made from peanut oil. Since that time, knowledge and technology have advanced far ahead.
Today for the production of biodiesel uses many vegetable crops. But each culture gives biodiesel with different characteristics. So, for example biodiesel from palm oil has a high caloric value, but high pour point. While rapeseed biodiesel tolerates low temperatures, but less caloric. The greatest application have received such a culture as rape, although it is widely used soybeans and corn.
The production of this biofuel is divided into several stages:
The first main stage is sowing into the soil and providing it with all the conditions for a good harvest.
— The second stage is the harvesting and testing. Testing includes examination of raw materials in the presence of moisture, weeds or erucic acid. Test results directly affect the cost of the raw materials.
— In the third stage separates the oil from the meal. All this happens in the oil mill. Next meal used in the production of animal feed. And the oil is further processed in esterification install. The process of obtaining methyl ester occurs in etherification columns, where rapeseed oil is added to methanol and to accelerate the process of alkaline catalyst. The products of this chemical reaction is: biodiesel, methyl ester and glycerin. Since glycerin is a co-product, it is possible to clean and use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Biodiesel has a higher flammability than conventional diesel fuel. During combustion of biodiesel in the sights and discarded half of carbon black and 10% of CO2 than the combustion of diesel fuel.
One of the main advantages of biofuels is that it is made from quickly renewable raw materials. And by-products of biodiesel production are widely used in other industries. Since biodiesel is produced from vegetable raw materials, it has no benzene odor.
Ecologically this type of biofuel more harmless. When burned, it emits harmful substances is much lower. Because of this component in the EU countries, focus on biodiesel has become a strategic direction.
Biodiesel is completely harmless. When released into soil or water, it has absolutely no impact on flora and fauna. All this is due to the fact that the fuel is degraded 99% in a short period of time (1 month).
The advantages also include good lubricant characteristics. Even despite the fact that in its composition has a much smaller amount of sulfur, the lubricating characteristics are not reduced. This is due to the presence of oxygen in the chemical composition of biodiesel.
