Meaning of Biofuels
Biofuels and renewable fuels are terms used interchangeably, and apply to combustible matter whose feedstock regenerates readily as part of the life cycle. Leaving lingo-cellulosics aside, it is essential to produce liquid, energetic, clean-burning fuels from available resources like sugar for ethanol, and natural fats and oils (triglycerides) for biodiesel.
Biodiesel Retrospective
The term biodiesel should apply to a higher-boiling, low viscosity renewable fuel. The most common sort is called FAME, meaning “fatty acid methyl ester”.FAME amounts to the First Generation of BioDiesel, and is commonly obtained by a process called “transesterification”.
A Second Generation of BioDiesel is currently under development elsewhere, and involves heat decomposition by decarboxylation of natural fat and oil compounds using catalysts.
The Third Generation of BioDiesel is the result of HEBF Technology introduced by Western Biofuels, Inc. It is represented by High Energy BioDiesel, or HEBD, and involves nitrilation of fatty compounds.
The transformation of natural fats and oils into nitrile compounds is technologically important. HEBD fuels are energy-rich substances, comparable to petroleum products, and more important, they involve 100% “green” carbons. An energy comparison between petroleum diesel, HEBD, and FAME is displayed below, where a full scale energy value is assigned to commercial diesel.
