Mark Daniel Westbrook
English III
Ms. Arnold
17 December 2017
Biodiesel, Good or Bad? The topic of biodiesel versus diesel is a complicated subject but when dug into its easy to see the differences. Biodiesel has benefits and problems as well as diesel having benefits and problems, but you gotta see the bigger and smaller problems of each fuel. Some say biodiesel is better because it is better for the environment and has a cleaner engine, whereas diesel is cheaper and now already has regulations to keep the air pollution and fumes from the exhaust almost down to zero. This is where you have to decide what is more important, economy, or environment? Biodiesel should not be used in diesel trucks because they use food to make biodiesel and …show more content…
Biodiesel is most commonly made through transesterification which is taking triglycerides and converting them into methyl esters. Biodiesel does not contain any petroleum and contains used restaurant grease, soybeans or other renewable resources. Biodiesel does create a cleaner engine in trucks. Trucks that use biodiesel have superior emissions that are cleaner and burns more hydrocarbons, less carbon monoxide is produced, sulfates, and particulate matter. When you use biodiesel you have to use 20% of biodiesel mixed with regular Diesel. Biodiesel also costs more than regular diesel because of its extra components and food. Diesel is cleaner now and it has a near zero emissions so it is creating a cleaner environment and uses less food so it does not make us use more land to make food for fuel. Since Diesel engines are being held to new and higher standards of pollution rate and emissions are kept lower, the biodiesel production cannot keep up with the production of diesel. Biodiesel has its benefits though, creating an engine that has better MPG and has slightly more power than a standard diesel engine. You can also mix biodiesel with diesel to combine the two. In order to do that you have to add 2% biodiesel with the rest being standard diesel. Although, mixing it would cause the price of a normal tank of diesel fuel to go up about 1 and a half more times that of standard diesel. Straight biodiesel “sells for about 85 cents more per gallon than regular diesel.” (Diesel vs. Biodiesel vs, vegetable oil). making diesel better if there are plans of saving money. Biodiesel also is harder to use because it has to be mixed with regular diesel in order to function its best in the engine. If a diesel engine is to use pure biodiesel or (B100) it has to be completely modified to run the different components of the fuel. So
English III
Ms. Arnold
17 December 2017
Biodiesel, Good or Bad? The topic of biodiesel versus diesel is a complicated subject but when dug into its easy to see the differences. Biodiesel has benefits and problems as well as diesel having benefits and problems, but you gotta see the bigger and smaller problems of each fuel. Some say biodiesel is better because it is better for the environment and has a cleaner engine, whereas diesel is cheaper and now already has regulations to keep the air pollution and fumes from the exhaust almost down to zero. This is where you have to decide what is more important, economy, or environment? Biodiesel should not be used in diesel trucks because they use food to make biodiesel and …show more content…
Biodiesel is most commonly made through transesterification which is taking triglycerides and converting them into methyl esters. Biodiesel does not contain any petroleum and contains used restaurant grease, soybeans or other renewable resources. Biodiesel does create a cleaner engine in trucks. Trucks that use biodiesel have superior emissions that are cleaner and burns more hydrocarbons, less carbon monoxide is produced, sulfates, and particulate matter. When you use biodiesel you have to use 20% of biodiesel mixed with regular Diesel. Biodiesel also costs more than regular diesel because of its extra components and food. Diesel is cleaner now and it has a near zero emissions so it is creating a cleaner environment and uses less food so it does not make us use more land to make food for fuel. Since Diesel engines are being held to new and higher standards of pollution rate and emissions are kept lower, the biodiesel production cannot keep up with the production of diesel. Biodiesel has its benefits though, creating an engine that has better MPG and has slightly more power than a standard diesel engine. You can also mix biodiesel with diesel to combine the two. In order to do that you have to add 2% biodiesel with the rest being standard diesel. Although, mixing it would cause the price of a normal tank of diesel fuel to go up about 1 and a half more times that of standard diesel. Straight biodiesel “sells for about 85 cents more per gallon than regular diesel.” (Diesel vs. Biodiesel vs, vegetable oil). making diesel better if there are plans of saving money. Biodiesel also is harder to use because it has to be mixed with regular diesel in order to function its best in the engine. If a diesel engine is to use pure biodiesel or (B100) it has to be completely modified to run the different components of the fuel. So