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| Frequently Asked Questions |
1) What is Bio-Diesel?
Bio-diesel is a substitute for, or an addition to, fossil fuel and is derived from the oils and fats of plants, like corn, sunflower, canola, rapeseed and Jatropha. It is an alternative fuel that can be used in diesel engines and provides power similar to conventional fossil diesel fuel. Bio-diesel is a renewable domestically produced liquid fuel that can help reduce a country’s dependence on foreign oil imports.
2) Is Bio-Diesel the same thing as raw vegetable oil, e.g. Jatropha oil?
No. Bio-diesel is produced from any fat or oil such as soybean, rapeseed or Jatropha oil through a refinery process called transesterification. This process is a reaction of the oil with an alcohol to remove the glycerin, a by-product of bio-diesel production.
3) What are B100 and B20?
B100 is pure Bio-diesel, also referred to as 100% Bio-diesel. Numerous blends are currently on the market, including B2, B5, B10, and B20. B20 is 20 percent Bio-diesel blended with 80 percent by volume petroleum diesel.
4) Where is the demand of Bio-Diesel coming from?
Fossil fuel prices soaring to over $100 dollar per barrel and increasing environmental concerns have triggered strong endorsements of the use of bio-fuel throughout the world. Bio-diesel production is, therefore, being encouraged and regulated across the world.
Bio-diesel is the most valuable form of renewable energy which has numerous benefits:
- it can be used directly in any existing, unmodified diesel engine
- it is environmental friendly and ideal for heavily polluted cities
- it is as biodegradable as salt
- it produces 80% less carbon dioxide and 100% less sulfur dioxide emissions
- it provides a 90% reduction in cancer risks
- it can be used in existing diesel engines without modification, and can be blended in at any ratio with petroleum diesel (the preferred ratio of mixture ranges between 5 and 20% (B5 - B20))
- it extends the live of diesel engines
- it is cheaper then mineral oil diesel
- it is conserving natural resources.
5) What is Jatropha?
Jatropha is a basic tropical tree cultivated primarily in Africa, Asia and South America. As far as its habitat is concerned this highly drought-resistant species is adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions. The current distribution shows that introduction has been most successful in the drier regions of the tropics with annual rainfall of 300-1000 mm. It occurs mainly at lower altitudes (0-500 m) in areas with average annual temperatures well above 20°C but can grow at higher altitudes and tolerates slight frost. It grows on well-drained soils with good aeration and is well adapted to marginal soils with low nutrient content. It is easy to establish, grows relatively quickly and lives, producing seeds for 50 years with minimum input.
Jatropha produces seeds with an oil content of up to 40%. Depending on soil quality and rainfall, oil can be extracted from the jatropha nuts after just one year, The annual nut yield ranges from 10 to 13 tons. The oil can be combusted as fuel without being refined. It burns with clear smoke-free flame, tested successfully as fuel for diesel engines.
The by-products of jatropha are press cake, a good organic fertilizer. The oil contains also insecticide. Medically it is used for diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, paralysis, dropsy etc.
6) Where can I learn more?
See Publications and References. |
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