Question

Vegetable oil can be directly burned in engines. Then, why is vegetable oil need to be converted into biodiesel?

Answer 1

Vegetable oils are much more viscous (thicker) than conventional diesel fuel or biodiesel. The very high viscosity and surface tension of the vegetable oil requires pre-heating, typically by using heat from side-by-side diesel or petrol engine or electricity, otherwise the engine has a hard time atomizing the fuel completely when it is sprayed into the combustion chamber. The result is unburned fuel that clogs the engine and also incomplete combustion would damage the engine by causing a build-up of carbon. In colder climates it is often necessary to heat the vegetable oil fuel tank as it can become very viscous and crystallises, forming solid wax crystals that can quickly block the fuel filters. You can compare this property with coconut oil or hydrogenated vegetable oil like trans fatty acids.

https://extension.psu.edu/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/1610/

If vegetable oil is trans-esterified then we call it as biodiesel. Biodiesel burns like normal diesel and works fine in any diesel engine. The name bio-diesel itself implies that the fuel is derived from vegetable oil.

Thank You So Much! Please Rate this answer as you wish.