BioDiesel Production:

Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels,
called "biofuels," to help meet transportation fuel needs. The two most common types of biofuels
in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which represent the first generation of biofuel
technology.
ETHANOL
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is a renewable fuel that can be made from various plant materials,
collectively known as “biomass.” Ethanol is an alcohol used as a blending agent with gasoline to
increase octane and cut down carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions.
The most common blend of ethanol is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) and is approved for use
in most conventional gasoline-powered vehicles up to E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline). Some
vehicles, called flexible fuel vehicles, are designed to run on E85 (a gasoline-ethanol blend
containing 51%–83% ethanol, depending on geography and season), an alternative fuel with
much higher ethanol content than regular gasoline. Roughly 97% of gasoline in the United States
contains some ethanol.
Most ethanol is made from plant starches and sugars—particularly corn starch in the United
States—but scientists are continuing to develop technologies that would allow for the use of
cellulose and hemicellulose, the non-edible fibrous material that constitutes the bulk of plant
matter.
The common method for converting biomass into ethanol is called fermentation. During
fermentation, microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and yeast) metabolize plant sugars and produce
ethanol.
BIODIESEL
Biodiesel is a liquid fuel produced from renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils
and animal fats and is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel. Biodiesel
is nontoxic and biodegradable and is produced by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal
fat, or recycled cooking grease.
Like petroleum-derived diesel, biodiesel is used to fuel compression-ignition (diesel) engines.
Biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage, including B100 (pure
biodiesel) and, the most common blend, B20 (a blend containing 20% biodiesel and 80%
petroleum diesel).
RENEWABLE HYDROCARBON "DROP-IN" FUELS
Petroleum fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, contain a complex mixture of
hydrocarbons (molecules of hydrogen and carbon), which are burned to produce energy.
Hydrocarbons can also be produced from biomass sources through a variety of biological and
thermochemical processes. Biomass-based renewable hydrocarbon fuels are nearly identical to
the petroleum-based fuels they are designed to replace—so they're compatible with today's
engines, pumps, and other infrastructure.
BIOFUEL CONVERSION PROCESSES
DECONSTRUCTION
Producing advanced biofuels (e.g., cellulosic ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon fuels) typically
involves a multistep process. First, the tough rigid structure of the plant cell wall—which
includes the biological molecules cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin bound tightly together—
must be broken down. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: high temperature
deconstruction or low temperature deconstruction.
High-Temperature Deconstruction
High-temperature deconstruction makes use of extreme heat and pressure to break down solid
biomass into liquid or gaseous intermediates. There are three primary routes used in this
pathway:
 Pyrolysis
 Gasification
 Hydrothermal liquefaction.
During pyrolysis, biomass is heated rapidly at high temperatures (500°C–700°C) in an oxygen-
free environment. The heat breaks down biomass into pyrolysis vapor, gas, and char. Once the
char is removed, the vapors are cooled and condensed into a liquid “bio-crude” oil.
Gasification follows a slightly similar process; however, biomass is exposed to a higher
temperature range (>700°C) with some oxygen present to produce synthesis gas (or syngas)—a
mixture that consists mostly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
When working with wet feedstocks like algae, hydrothermal liquefaction is the preferred thermal
process. This process uses water under moderate temperatures (200°C–350°C) and elevated
pressures to convert biomass into liquid bio-crude oil.
Low-Temperature Deconstruction
Low-temperature deconstruction typically makes use of biological catalysts called enzymes or
chemicals to breakdown feedstocks into intermediates. First, biomass undergoes a pretreatment
step that opens up the physical structure of plant and algae cell walls, making sugar polymers
like cellulose and hemicellulose more accessible. These polymers are then broken down
enzymatically or chemically into simple sugar building blocks during a process known as
hydrolysis.
UPGRADING
Following deconstruction, intermediates such as crude bio-oils, syngas, sugars, and other
chemical building blocks must be upgraded to produce a finished product. This step can involve
either biological or chemical processing.
Microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and cyanobacteria, can ferment sugar or gaseous
intermediates into fuel blendstocks and chemicals. Alternatively, sugars and other intermediate
streams, such as bio-oil and syngas, may be processed using a catalyst to remove any unwanted
or reactive compounds in order to improve storage and handling properties.
The finished products from upgrading may be fuels or bioproducts ready to sell into the
commercial market or stabilized intermediates suitable for finishing in a petroleum refinery or
chemical manufacturing plant.
Biodiesel Fuel Basics
Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils,
animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel meets both the biomass-based diesel and
overall advanced biofuel requirement of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Renewable diesel, also
called “green diesel,” is distinct from biodiesel.
Biodiesel is a liquid fuel often referred to as B100 or neat biodiesel in its pure, unblended form.
Like petroleum diesel, biodiesel is used to fuel compression-ignition engines. See the table for
biodiesel's physical characteristics.
Biodiesel performance in cold weather depends on the blend of biodiesel, the feedstock, and the
petroleum diesel characteristics. In general, blends with smaller percentages of biodiesel perform
better in cold temperatures. Typically, regular No. 2 diesel and B5 perform about the same in
cold weather. Both biodiesel and No. 2 diesel have some compounds that crystallize in very cold
temperatures. In winter weather, fuel blenders and suppliers combat crystallization by adding a
cold flow improver. For the best cold weather performance, users should work with their fuel
provider to ensure the blend is appropriate.
Production
Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, yellow grease, used cooking oils, or animal fats. The
fuel is produced by transesterification—a process that converts fats and oils into biodiesel and
glycerin (a coproduct). Approximately 100 pounds of oil or fat are reacted with 10 pounds of a
short-chain alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide
[NaOH] or potassium hydroxide [KOH]) to form 100 pounds of biodiesel and 10 pounds of
glycerin (or glycerol). Glycerin, a co-product, is a sugar commonly used in the manufacture of
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Schematic of Biodiesel Production Path

Raw or refined plant oil, or recycled greases that have not been processed into biodiesel, are not
biodiesel and should not be used as vehicle fuel. Fats and oils (triglycerides) are much more
viscous than biodiesel, and low-level vegetable oil blends can cause long-term engine deposits,
ring sticking, lube-oil gelling, and other maintenance problems that can reduce engine life
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