The processing of biodiesel may require a number of biodiesel filters in order to ensure that the end product is of excellent quality. When you try to recycle waste vegetable or surplus corn oil and make them into biodiesel, you might need a biodiesel filter for your engine to make sure that contaminants can’t enter into the engine and damage it. Different biodiesel filters may be required for a number of different applications.
Biodiesel filters should have the following properties in order to work best in any given conditions:
1. High Temperature Properties. Almost any filter media can be used for water-based products. But in the case of filtering hot oils, resins and other high temperature products, a filter media that can withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures is preferred. Biodiesel filters should be able to have excellent high temperature properties to be able to handle the filtration of biodiesel well enough.
2. Excellent Filtering. Biodiesel filters should be able to filter out the contaminants well enough in order to make a better grade product. All filters have a micron rating that determines the size of the particles that can be effectively captured by the filter media. A biodiesel filter having a 5 micron rating is preferred to provide excellent filtering properties.
3. Chemical Compatibility. A biodiesel filter should be able to withstand exposure to such chemicals as solvents, acids and alkaline solutions. A lesser quality filter may break down when exposed to such chemicals. Make sure that the biodiesel filter that you use has the property to withstand breaking down when exposed to such chemicals.
Biodiesel has become a very popular fuel alternative to petroleum-based fuel today. That is why more and more people are trying to make use of biodiesel in order to lessen their reliance on fuels based on fossil oil, which can pollute the environment. With biodiesel, people have the option to make use of a cleaner alternative. Here are just some of the key advantages of using biodiesel:
1. The use of biodiesel produces at least an 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Not only that, biodiesel contains little or even no sulfur content that can result in as much as a hundred percent less sulfur dioxide being released in the air.
2. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel available that can run in any conventional diesel engine. Other alternative fuels such as waste or straight vegetable oil may require your diesel engines to be modified. This is not so with biodiesel. Anyone can use biodiesel immediately to fuel any conventional diesel engine today.
3. Biodiesel contain less unwanted contaminants that can do some damage to diesel engines. Biodiesel also has better lubricating properties than petroleum-based diesel and can help protect and extend the life of diesel engines. It’s a better solvent than petro-diesel and may therefore help clean the fuel lines and the engine itself by dissolving fuel residues and flush them out.
4. Biodiesel in non-toxic. It is safer to handle and transport. It is also highly biodegradable and has a higher flashpoint than conventional diesel.
5. Biodiesel can be produced from renewable oilseed crops such as soybeans, canola and mustard seed. As a renewable resource, production of this alternative fuel can go on and on as long as cultivation of such crops is continued. There is also research being done in trying to raise and harvest oil-rich algae as another source for the production of biodiesel.
