Biodiesel Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is classified as an alternative fuel. It is a clean burning, domestic and renewable fuel source that can be refined from vegetable oil, animal fats or waste greases. Pure biodiesel contains no petroleum itself yet is most commonly blended with petroleum products, such as diesel or home heating oil. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency as a pure fuel or as a fuel additive and is a legal fuel for commerce. Biodiesel is easy to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Technically speaking, biodiesel is a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. This fuel, designated B100, must also meet the requirements of ASTM D 6751.
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2. How is it made?

Biodiesel is produced from a number of agricultural vegetable products, from canola to soybean oil. These oils are primarily composed of three carbon chains (known as triglycerides) connected by a glycerin molecule. Through the chemical reaction, know as transesterification, the vegetable oil is forced to react with an alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide). This reaction separates the glycerol out of the mixture, which can later be refined into glycerin (a valuable byproduct that has multiple uses). What is left is the fatty acid alkyl esters that is the chemical name for biodiesel. Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications defined by ASTM D6751 in order to insure proper performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments as of 2005.
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3. Where Can I Purchase Biodiesel?

Biodiesel fuel is made all over the country. In fact since Jan 2006 there have been some 53 plants operating in the US. Today there are currently over 40 more plants being constructed. The National Biodiesel Board maintains a map of current and proposed biodiesel production facilities.

Biodiesel Producers

In New England there are various locations to buy biodiesel in select blends. Please contact us to inquire further about locations and prices near you.
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4. Will I need to make modifications to my hardware?

No modifications need to be made for low biodiesel blends on vehicles made in 1993 or thereafter. Biodiesel contains a natural solvent that degrades many rubber formulations overtime. Because of this older vehicles would have to have certain fuel pump gaskets and fuel lines replaced to ensure safety. Many major car and truck manufacturers have recently expanded their warranties to include the use of biodiesel. Be sure to check with your car company for such relevant information.

As for heating systems no modifications need to be made as long as a blend of B20 or lower in used. *Please Take Note Again* that biodiesel has a solvent effect that most likely will release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous fuel storage. If you have a particularly old tank it is recommended to replace the filters often during the first few deliveries after the switch has been made. In the long term this solvent effect should thoroughly clean out your heating tank which could lead to a prolonged life of you heating system.
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5. What do B100, B20, and B5 mean?

Pure biodiesel contains no petroleum whatsoever. It is however most commonly used as a blended fuel. It can be blended at any ratio with petroleum middle distillates to create a biodiesel blend. These notations of Bxx are thus used to signify the percent biodeisel found in fuel blends. Pure biodiesel in its neat form is identified as B100. What this means is that the fuel blend is 100 % biodiesel with no petroleum products present.

B20 represents a fuel blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum. B5 is thus a fuel blend of 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum. For special percent mixtures please contact us so that we can tailor your fuel to your needs. Petroleum middle distillates include No. 2 diesel, No. 2 home heating oil and No. 1 kerosene.
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6. How much will using biodiesel fuel really cost me?

Depending on the specific blend of biodiesel fuel you use the costs can vary somewhat. For low blend use such as B2 and B5 an increased cost of 5 to 10 cents per gallon could be realized. For larger blends up to B100 a larger premium such as 25 to 50 cents could be added to your costs. All in all these costs come at a small price when considering the many benefits that come from using a renewable home grown energy source.

When considering the costs of complying with state and federal regulations biodiesel as an alternative fuel is one of the best low cost strategies. By using biodiesel fleet managers are able to more easily comply with low sulfur emissions and new air pollution regulations with very little changes to their businesses. No engine modifications are necessary, spare parts inventories are kept, and fueling stations still usable. Not to mention all of the added environmental benefits.

Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines, 2004 Report by the US Department of Energy with information for fleet operators on handling and use of biodiesel including issues dealing with cold flow properties, stability, microbial growth, safety and more.
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7. Will I need special facilities to store biodiesel?

When storing biodiesel fuel and fuel blends some precautions should be taken. It is good practice to store the fuel in a clean, dry, dark place, avoiding temperature extremes as well. The storage tank should be made out of materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, teflon, fluorinated polyethylene, or fluorinated polypropylene. Copper, brass, lead, tin, and zinc should be avoided. In general however, the standard storage and handling procedures used for petroleum diesel should be used for biodiesel.

Some important things to keep in mind when storing biodiesel is that it does have some unique solvent properties that could release the deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes, which might effect filter clogging. Also, biodiesel over time will soften and degrade certain types of elastomers and natural rubber compounds. Precautions should be taken when using high percent blends to ensure that the existing fueling system, primarily fuel hoses and fuel pump seals, do not contain elastomer compounds incompatible with the biodiesel.

For more information, see the NREL’s Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines.
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8. Who can I contact to find out more?

We here at BioPur Inc. are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to contact us via email at contact@biopurinc.com or directly through the phone at (203) 266-5150.

Also the National Biodiesel Board maintains one of the largest libraries of biodiesel information in the US.
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