Biodiesel History

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Contrary to what you might feel, biodiesel is not new. The process of transesterification of vegetable oil has been in vogue for over a hundred years, though the process was mainly used to derive glycerin from vegetable oils. The by-products of such a process were methyl esters, the biodiesel of today!

Even in terms of usage, biodiesel is hardly new. Rudolf Diesel used peanut oil in his original compression-ignition engine in 1898! In fact, the general feeling in the early 20th century was that vegetable fuels (biodiesel) will be the primary fuel for diesel engines, and were used until the 1920s, when petro-diesel made its entry.

Now that we have just begun to run out of petro-fuels, the vegetable based fuels, especially biodiesel, are again coming into currency. History does repeat, doesn’t it?

Links on Biodiesel History

Fun Facts – A question to you - What was diesel fuel called before Rudolf Diesel? Now, this will need some research before you can come up with an answer!

Other References

Some interesting sites:

  • Plant Oils Database – provides resources and links for over 200 different plant oils and related plant extracts
  • BDPedia – The Biodiesel WWW Encyclopedia

Agriculture Directories

BDPedia.com, the Biodiesel WWW Encyclopedia, provides links, provides directory and web links resources for the biofuels, biodiesel. It is intended to be useful for research and information as well as for buyers, sellers, manufacturers, traders, suppliers, producers, exporters and importers. It will make an effort to provide biofuel feedstock, plant oil feedstocks, vegetable oil info and link, details on oilseeds, bio-fuel, bio-diesel, bio-fuels, plant oils production and uses, and biofuels trade & market resources, data, statistics such as price, prices, demand-supply for buyer, seller, manufacturer, trader, supplier, exporter and producer