FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a fuel for vehicles with diesel engines that is made from vegetable oil. Through a chemical reaction known as transesterification the vegetable oil becomes thinner, with a viscocity more similar to petroleum diesel. It burns cleaner than petroleum diesel, making it a more environmentally sustainable choice. Ithaca Biodiesel makes its biodiesel from recycled waste oil from local restaurants, making it the most sustainble type of biodiesel there is. Even when the percentage of biodiesel used is small (20% biodiesel, known as B20, is commonly used), the reduction in emissions is significant. The more biodiesel you mix into your regular diesel, the greater the environmental benefit.

2. What is straight vegetable oil (SVO)?

Straight vegetable oil, also known as SVO, is pure vegetable oil — the kind you might buy in the supermarket or see in a restaurant deep fryer. SVO used for fuel is usually recycled waste cooking oil that has been filtered to remove food particles and water, although you can use brand-new cooking oil from the store. It is possible to run diesel vehicles on SVO (several members of Ithaca Biodiesel do!), however, because SVO is thicker than petroleum diesel and biodiesel it is necessary to convert your car by installing a second fuel tank, fuel line, and switch system. The specially installed switch allows you to change fuel lines, from diesel to vegetable oil, after your car has had a chance to heat up, and then to switch back before you are about to stop driving. It's important not to leave the veggie fuel line engaged while the car is off, because the oil can gel in the engine and cause damage to the fuel injectors.

3. What is the difference between biodiesel and SVO?

Biodiesel is made partially from vegetable oil. It's thinner than vegetable oil, but still slightly thicker than petroleum diesel. SVO is pure vegetable oil, filtered but otherwise unmodified. You can put biodiesel straight into any diesel engine without modication to the vehicle, in different percentages depending on outside temperatures. In warm summer weather, you can use up to 50% biodiesel (also known as B50) without knowing anything more about the car (see question number 8 below). In cold winter weather, you can safely use up to 20% biodiesel (also known as B20). In colder weather, biodiesel becomes even more viscous than petroleum diesel and can gel inside the engine, causing major damage.

4. Why can biodiesel help us?

Biodiesel is made from oil that comes from plants, the carbon dioxide that is released when the oil is burned is the same carbon dioxide that was absorbed by the plant from the atmosphere during the plant's lifetime. Thus, unlike fossil fuels, biodiesel and SVO release no new carbon into the atmosphere when they're burned. The carbon was in the atmosphere already.

5. What is global warming?

Global warming is the process of rising global temperatures and climate change the earth is undergoing right now, caused by greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) that are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal are burned. Visit Al Gore's website www.climatecrisis.net

6. What is peak oil?

Peak oil is the point when the maximum possible global oil production will be reached. Scientists and economists differ on when this will happen, or indeed if it has happened already. After the peak is reached, production is predicted to decline steadily and perhaps dramatically, leading to a world energy crisis. In a nutshell: our consumption of nonrenewable (fossil) fuels cannot continue to increase year after year as it has done in the past. It's essential that we decrease our fuel consumption, increase fuel efficiency, and switch to alternative fuels wherever possible. Powering your diesel vehicle with biodiesel and/or SVO is a great way to minimize your contribution to peak oil.

7. Can I put biodiesel in any vehicle?

No. Biodiesel can only be used with diesel engines.

8. Can I put 100% biodiesel in my diesel engine?

You may be able to put 100% biodiesel into your vehicle in the warm summer months, but it's important to research carefully what material your fuel line is made of. Biodiesel has solvent properties; over time a rubber fuel line or even just a rubber gasket can become corroded and eventually leak if you use too high a percentage of biodiesel in your tank. Many tractors, trucks, and even some cars have fuel lines that are made exclusively of metal. These vehicles could handle 100% biodiesel in warm weather; however, even an engine with all-metal fuel lines can't handle more than B20 in the winter for the same reason that no car can—too much biodiesel can gel in cold weather. If you are unsure whether or not your fuel line has any rubber parts, it's a bad idea to guess that more than 50% biodiesel is okay. On a positive note, even the failsafe B20 percentage has solvent properties can actually extend the life of your engine. Biodiesel cleans out the accumulated tar in your fuel line and keeps everything running smoothly. For this reason, when you first start using biodiesel, you might need to change your diesel fuel filter more often than usual until the tar and muck from the engine has been loosened and cleaned out.

9. How much biodiesel has been sold in the US?

The National Biodiesel Board has released the following estimates:
2004 — 25 million gallons
2003 — 20 million gallons
2002 — 15 million gallons
2001 — 5 million gallons
2000 — 2 million gallons
1999 — 500,000 gallons

10. How is biodiesel different from ethanol?

Ethanol is an alcohol made from corn, among other things. Its use is limited to gasoline powered engines. Biodiesel a vegetable oil–based fuel. It's use is limited to diesel engines.