(Sorry, this is going to get technical. I apologize in advance but I can't help myself!!!)
Biodiesel is actually trans-esterified cooking oil. The triglycerides are "broken down" into simple esters of their original fatty acids. They have straight carbon chains of about 18 carbon atoms or so. The diesel standard, cetane, has 16 carbon atoms in a straight chain. Not a bad match. Biodiesel proponents will also say the esters have oxygen so they are like "oxyfuel" gasoline. Hummmmm.
One of the big problems must be storage life. Cooking oils are liquid oils because they contain some carbon-carbon double bonds (unsaturated!). These double bonds react with oxygen and, in essence, "crosslink". This is the way that linseed oil hardens. Using saturated fats would avoid this problem!! Crisco, anyone?
A fellow in town makes biodiesel. He asked if I would use it in my Dodge/Cummins. Nope, not unless he bought me a new Dodge first.
1948 3/4-Ton 5-Window Flatbed Chevrolet 34 Years. Now with a '61 261, 848 head, Rochester Monojet carb, SM420 4-speed, 4.10 rear, dual reservoir MC, Bendix up front, 235/85R16 tires, 12-volt w/alternator, electric wipers and a modern radio in the glove box.
