Biodiesel

Biodiesel - A painless transition from fossil fuels Biodiesel is the transesterification of vegetable oils into combustible diesel fuel. Rudolf Diesel the inventor of the diesel engine was not the inventor of biodiesel, however, his popularity and achievements merited the name. Biodiesel was most probably discovered in 1853 by two chemists making soap (E. Duffy and J. Patrick). But the uses of transesterification did not become apparent until much later in the late 1980’s early 1990’s. In February of 1892, Diesel applied for a patent on his engine. A year later, a decent design was already being produced. In 1897 at the Exibition Fair in Paris, Rudolf Diesel showed the world his invention, and became famous. The diesel engine can be run on biofuel as it is run today on fossil fuel. Biodiesel is different from petrodiesel... [read full story]