Adi Hariyo Darmawan

195100601111003 / H
BIDIESEL
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-
chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil,
soybean oil,[1] animal fat (tallow) with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters.
Biodiesel, derived from fats such as vegetable oil, animal fat, and recycled cooking grease, can
be blended with petroleum-based diesel. Some buses, trucks, and military vehicles in the U.S.
run on fuel blends with up to 20 percent biodiesel, but pure biodiesel can be compromised by
cold weather and may cause problems in older vehicles. Renewable diesel, a chemically
different product that can be derived from fats or plant-based waste, is considered a "drop-in"
fuel that does not need to be blended with conventional diesel.
Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any
concentration in most injection pump diesel engines. Biodiesel has been known to break down
deposits of residue in the fuel lines where petrodiesel has been used.As a result, fuel filters may
become clogged with particulates if a quick transition to pure biodiesel is made. Therefore, it is
recommended to change the fuel filters on engines and heaters shortly after first switching to a
biodiesel blend.

Much of the gasoline in country contains one of the most common biofuels: ethanol. Made by
fermenting the sugars from plants such as corn or sugarcane, ethanol contains oxygen that
helps a car's engine burn fuel more efficiently, reducing air pollution. In the U.S., where most
ethanol is derived from corn, fuel is typically 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol.

A variety of materials, or feedstocks, can be used to make biofuels. Though corn and sugarcane
are well-established ethanol feedstocks, the process of growing the crops, making fertilizers
and pesticides, and processing the plants into fuel consumes a lot of energy—so much energy
that there is debate about whether ethanol from corn actually provides enough of an
environmental benefit to be worth the investment.

So scientists and startups are exploring other materials that have the potential to serve as fuel
without the accompanying concerns about food supply and environmental impact. Cellulosic
ethanol, for example, uses corn stover, wood waste, or other plant material that would not be
used otherwise. Other potential biofuel feedstocks include grasses, algae, animal
waste, cooking grease, and wastewater sludge, but research continues to find the most efficient
and cost-effective ways to transform them into usable fuel