ALT-1 What is Biodiesel Fuel and where can you Buy it
Biodiesel is currently one of the most popular trends for the gas guzzling truck lover consuming. Biodiesel is made to be free of sulfur and biodegradable. The other benefit is to the wildlife, children, and of course our drinking water, because biodiesel also happens to be non toxic, making it a great environmentally friendly choice, especially with the massive reduction in overall emissions that it releases.
Through a process called transesterifcation, which is literally the process that allows for the removal of glycerin by using alcohol and the oils used in the fuel. The oil itself actually comes from renewable resources such as corn, soybeans, peanuts, or any other oil based product. Basically, if you can make oil out of it, then you can make biodiesel fuel out of it.
Biodiesel fuels come in a number of varieties, which are often times blended with varying levels of oil or used without any oil at all. If a biodiesel is used in oil, they will be labeled as such. In order to tell that they are labeled with oil, just look at the label at the pump. You will see that it says "B" and then a number, the number represents the percentage of biodiesel that is used. So for example, if it were to say, "B15", then it would be 15% biodiesel used in that mixture. While there doesn't appear to be any difference between using a fuel low in petroleum or high in it, manufacturers are still making products with petroleum in the mixture.
The best thing about using biodiesel is that it can be used in virtually any engine without modification, however there are a few that will require some work, so it is suggested that you always check with your manufacturer before purchasing biodiesel for your vehicle. Most any modern vehicle will work perfectly fine with biodiesel.
In order to purchase biodiesel, you'll have to find a biodiesel station. You can locate these by googling "biodiesel gas stations" online. While some states don't have too many of these stations in operation as a of yet, the midwest and California are both leading the way, promoting this much more environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum based fuels.
As for the costs associated with purchasing biodiesel, they are generally less than that of standard fuel. So with a much lower cost associated with operation, and much lower emissions, consumers have begun to truly embrace the fuel, with consumption rising from 500,000 gallons in 1999 to nearly 75 million gallons consumed in 2005. While it's nowhere near being able to replace standard fuels, it is definitely well on it's well.
