Manufacture : An introduction to BioDiesel
Biodiesel is the generic name for fuels obtained by transesterification of a vegetable oil or animal fat. The process produces a fuel with very similar combustion properties to diesel, but with lower viscosity.
Biodiesel is made from agricultural crops and is thus widely perceived to be more environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable than fossil fuels. The carbon emissions caused by agricultural production and fertiliser production are less than the exbodied emissions caused from diesel made from fossil fuel. When examined on a total lifecycle basis it remains unclear whether planting of large scale crops to be used for BioDiesel is seen to be a positive contributor to sustainability or as a contributor to soil degradation, however there is not sufficient area to grow the plants needed to convert all of the United Kingdom’s diesel usage to BioDiesel.
The present use of BioDiesel is that of a niche market. As such, there are no issues related to sustainability. There are also no groundwater contamination issues with BioDiesel, with the possible exception of the fertiliser used during growth of the seed crop from which BioDiesel is made.
A better blend
Rix combines 5% BioDiesel with 95% ultra low sulphur diesel to create Rix BioBlend 5, a ‘drop in’ fuel that is less polluting than pure fossil diesel but actually benefits engine performance.
