Biodiesel is a companion of public catering

We have celebrated 150 years since the birth of Rudolf Diesel, and the greatest invention of this Parisian (Frenchmen along with the Germans consider him to be their national heritage) is becoming more urgent in the face of rapid growth in prices of "black gold". The first Diesel pilot engines which worked by means of coal dust nearly killed their inventor.

Doctor Diesel has successfully demonstrated the potential of biological fuels in the early XX century.

Among the alternative types of fuel used today biodiesel seems very promising. The starting raw materials for its industrial production are Soya (mostly in the United States) and rapeseed oil (Europe). The relatively simple technology allows to get biodiesel even at home by distillation of vegetable oils used in food production.

In USA this form of making fuel has become particularly popular, the major suppliers of raw materials are fast-foods, ready to get rid of enormous amounts of vegetable oil free of charge. Reagents necessary for distillation are on sale, and the process does not require deep knowledge of chemistry, so if you follow basic precautions it is absolutely safe. Notably, in the process of combustion biodiesel easily identified by its characteristic odour.

In the United States operates the standard ASTM, defining the basic parameters of biodiesel - viscosity and sulphur content. Depending on the concentration biodiesel can be "clean" or mixed in various proportions with the traditional diesel. The largest spread in the U.S. has got a mixture of V20 (biodiesel - 20%) and B5 (diesel - 95%). The vast majority of specialized service stations sell mixtures with low content of biodiesel component.

But network of stations is too small and it significantly inhibits the spread of this type of fuel. For example, in California, owners of vehicles equipped with diesel engines, about three thousand filling stations provide services of petrol and only 37 biodiesel. In 2006 gallon of diesel fuel cost $ 2.56 in the USA, a "clean" biodiesel in circumvention of American motorists $ 3.23. Since then, the difference in price declined, and in some cases, when using local raw materials (mainly in the areas of agricultural production) it is cheaper to produce biological fuel.

According tot he research held by the National Agency for Environmental Protection (EPA) the main advantage of biodiesel in comparison with ordinary diesel is lower emission of hydrocarbons (60%), carbon monoxide and unburned particulate particles (40%). In addition, during storage, fuelling and in the form of emissions biodiesel allocates less toxic substances that have an adverse impact (including cancer) on human health.

In Germany, the main raw material for biodiesel (retail price is cheaper than diesel) is rape. In 2006 2 billion litres of this fuel was sold. The extent of the environmental impact of biofuel is not high. As it turned out, biodiesel of low concentration improves lubrication of rubbing parts and fuel system, which increases the service life of the engine respectively. It is this feature that stimulated many automakers to certify B5 for application on models sold in the U.S. market.

Of course, biodiesel has its advantages and disadvantages. Specialists of the University of California concluded that fuel, produced from soy oil, causing more environmental damage than usual fuel.

Biodiesel certainly won't save the world, but it can reduce the world's dependence on oil. But mankind has already faced a new challenge - the spread of alternative fuels has resulted in a significant increase of food prices in the world market.