Industry terms:
What is the difference between biomass fuel and biodiesel?
Actually biodiesel is a biomass fuel but not all biomass fuels are biodiesel. Any fuel liquid, gas, or solid produced from plant or animal material is a biomass fuel. Biomass fuel are considered renewable because they can be produced as a end product of the crop cycle. However renewable should not be confused with sustainable. A sustainable biomass fuel is the product of sustainable farming practices that have minimal environmental impact, adhere to organic farming practices and not sub planting food crops for the sake of fuel.
What is the difference between vegetable oil and biodiesel?
Vegetable oil is the expressed product of oil producing plants such as soybeans and peanut. Biodiesel is the end product of a process called transesterifircation which combines vegetable oil with a catalyst and a reagent to form a methyl ester fuel which is more readily usable in modern diesel engines. Vegetable oil can also be burned in modern diesel engines but it requires the addition of a 2nd tank and a heat exchanger to heat the oil and reduce its’ viscosity so the vehicles fuel delivery system can handle process it.
What is the difference between biodiesel made from virgin vegetable oil and biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil (WVO)?
In terms of quality there is no difference both can be made to meet ASTM specs for road fuel (this is the standard required by the EPA). In terms of sustainability there can be and generally is a big difference. WVO is the reuse of a waste product that does not require the cultivation of new croplands to produce it. It also provides a community with a locally produced product which because it is locally produced keeps more money in that community.
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