Bio-fuels seem to be hot topic in today’s energy markets, so what’s the scoop? First of all, biofuels come in many varieties, but in general, there are two main products, those that replace (or blend with) gasoline, and those that replace (or are blended with) middle distillate fuels, such as diesel fuel, or home heating oil. For gasoline replacement and blending, the predominant fuel is ethanol, which is a water-clear liquid that is distilled from a variety of plants, but most commonly corn in the US. Distillate fuel substitutes can also be derived from a variety of plants such as soybeans, palm seeds, and peanuts, or even animal by-products such as used cooking oil grease. Resulting fuel is usually referred to as Biodiesel or B100 (100% Biofuel, no petroleum). When used as a heating oil blend, the product is sometimes referred to as Bioheat.  When oils derived from these sources start out, they are not suitable for combustion, or use in a diesel engine, they need to be processed first.  The process for converting raw fats and oils into “Biodiesel” separates the oil from the glycerin (one of the main components of soap).  Once the glycerin is removed, the resulting Biodiesel can be used virtually interchangeably with diesel fuel or home heating oil.  One important benefit of these fuels is that they have similar energy value per gallon as conventional heating oil, with the added benefits of the clean burning Biofuel.

Why biofuels? In a nutshell…these fuels are renewable, efficient, and clean burning.  As petroleum becomes depleted, we grow ever more dependant on foreign sources of oil, often located in unstable parts of the world, and while biofuels make up only a small portion of the energy market, their role is becoming increasingly more vital every day.

A little History on bio-fuels
Bio-fuels are not new; in fact they preceded petroleum-based fuels in the late 1800’s.  Corn derived ethanol was first used to power early cars such as Henry Ford’s Model-T, and when the first diesel engine was developed by Rudolf Diesel in Germany, it was powered by peanut oil! Another pioneer of biofuels was George Washington Carver.  Although he was not directly responsible for "inventing" biofuels, the scope of his research was instrumental in the development of biofuels as well as other products derived from plants. Much of his research involved peanuts and soybeans from which he developed literally hundreds of products and applications ranging from clean-burning biofuels to plastics, paint, food products, etc.  What has really changed is the way these fuels are processed.  Modern farming techniques have resulted in increased yields and efficiency, making these fuels competitively priced with petroleum based fuels.

Better for the environment
Bio-fuels are better for the environment mainly because they contain no sulfur.  When a fuel containing sulfur is burned, sulfur dioxide SO2 is produced, which is a harmful gas that has been known to cause acid rain.  Although the petroleum portion of the fuel still contains sulfur, the bio portion does not.  Biofuels also reduce NOX emissions, which are greenhouse gasses. There are also many indirect environmental benefits of bio-fuels.  For instance, the crops grown to produce bio-fuels such as soybeans consume a great deal of CO2, which is a greenhouse gas.  Biodiesel (B100) is also non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally benign if spilled.

Helping American Farmers
Besides helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil sources, bio-fuel production is a great boost to the American economy, and our American farming community. 

Improved reliability
Bio-fuels are also more reliable!  There are two reasons why bio-fuels improve reliability; the first is because the bio-fuel component provides a cleansing or detergent effect resulting in cleaner filters, strainers and nozzles.  When fuel systems are clean, the result is more efficient fuel atomization, and ultimately better combustion efficiency.  The second reliability improvement comes from the fact that the bio-fuel component contains no sulfur.  As we mentioned above, when fuel containing sulfur is burned, airborne pollutants are released, however there are some sulfur by-products that don’t become airborne, and remain in the heating system in the form of sulfates. Iron sulfate builds up on the inside of heat exchangers robbing the system of efficiency, and can even shorten the life of the heating system.