Biodiesel is increasingly becoming a conscious choice among people all over the world. In the US, biodiesel produced from vegetable oil (used or unused) or animal fat (tallow) started to be seriously thought about as a commercially viable source of alternative fuel for the automobiles as late as the 80s. However, in spite of the late start, it is catching up quickly with the other fuels in terms of popularity.

Biodiesel can be used in pure form or can be mixed with petrodiesel. A lot of countries have now made it mandatory to mix a certain amount of biodiesel with petrodiesel. The governments of some countries are offering tax exemption to encourage people to use biodiesel. The quantity of biodiesel in petrodiesel is expressed by the letter ‘B’ followed by the percentage of the biodiesel mixed in it. For example, B5 diesel means that there is 5% biodiesel mixed with the petrodiesel. B100 stands for 100% pure biodiesel.

The operation of a biodiesel engine is essentially similar to that of a conventional diesel engine. However, biodiesel degrades articles made of natural rubber. Therefore, before switching to biodiesel mixed petrodiesel or 100% biodiesel, you should change your rubber hoses and gaskets and replace them with ones made of FKM. Biodiesel also tends to gel faster in cold weather than petroleum and gasoline. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a fuel heater if there are chances of using your car in freezing temperature.

If you were previously using pretrodiesel and is going to switch over to biodiesel, you may need to make another modification to your car. A car, which used to run on petrodiesel before, tends to have lots of deposits in the fuel line. This residue, which is the result of using petrodiesel for a long time, will degrade by biodiesel and clog your fuel filters. This will call for changing your filters sometime after you start using biodiesel.

B100 or a 100% pure biodiesel has a cetane number of 48 to 60 depending on from what substance the biodiesel is derived. A cetane number or a cetane rating is an indication of the performance of a diesel fuel. The higher the cetane rating is, the better is the efficiency of a particular fuel. The cetane number indicates fuel ignition delays.

Another good thing about a biodiesel engine is that is emits a significantly less amount of smoke, carbon particles, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide gas that form a huge part of a diesel engine emission. This is what makes a biodiesel engine safer, cleaner and more efficient than a diesel engine.