What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from
vegetable oils or animal fats.  The concept of using vegetable oil as a fuel
dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to
run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition
in Paris in 1900 using peanut oil as fuel.

Properties of Biodiesel

Today’s diesel engines require a clean-burning, stable fuel that performs well
under a variety of operating conditions. Biodiesel is the only alternative
fuel that can be used directly in any existing, unmodified diesel engine.
Because it has similar properties to petroleum diesel fuel, biodiesel can be
blended in any ratio with petroleum diesel fuel. Many federal and state fleet
vehicles in USA are already using biodiesel blends in their existing diesel
engines.Laws which include the use of bio fuels in all vehicle by 2010 exsist in the E.U
The low emissions of biodiesel make it an ideal fuel for use in marine areas,
national parks and forests, and heavily polluted cities. Biodiesel has many
advantages as a transport fuel.