Written by Prognog Staff Biodiesel is generally considered to be cleaner than traditional or "dino" diesel. It can be used in any diesel engine without the need to modify the engine or fuel delivery. Many diesel engines actually run better and tend to last longer when used with biodiesel. Biodiesel is a fuel derived from vegetable or animal products, and it is processed to run with no modifications in a diesel engine.  Biodiesel is distinguished from WVO and SVO as the latter products must generally be preheated to run in a diesel engine.  In most cases, biodiesel refers to a product derived from rapeseed or soybean oils though it can be produced from a host of other seeds and vegetable oils.  Recent production efforts have even been able to produce biodiesel from algae.

The two greatest advantages to running biodiesel in your vehicle are reduced emissions and the fact that it is produced from renewable resources.  Other advantages often cited are that biodiesel is biodegradable, it is not as flammable as traditional fuels, it is non-toxic, it has a high degree of lubricity and it may improve the perforrmance and mileage of some vehicles using biodiesel.

There are often several concerns about using biodiesel in your vehicle.  Among these are the fact that it may cause degradation in the rubber hoses and seals of your vehicle.  Biodiesel also tends to gel at low temperatures and generally has to be mixed with another fuel or chemical to prevent this gelling attribute in freezing conditions. 

Environmental concerns are numerous as well focusing primarily on the energy and land resources needed to produce biodiesel.

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