Biofuel is most commonly defined as a renewable source of energy, produced from biological material or biomass, such as sugar cane, corn, cellulose and vegetable oil. The main role of biofuel is to provide more environmentally friendly fuels, with the hope of eventually replacing fossil fuels, which are rapidly diminishing.

Generally, biofuel comes in three forms, solid, liquid and gas. Today, the two most widely used types of biofuel are biodiesel and ethanol. Fuel pellets made from wood chips, sawdust or agricultural wastes are also produced around the world; however, they are not commonly used due to their high degree of pollution.

It is interesting to note that certain traditional fossil fuels, for example coal, may also be treated as a kind of biofuel since it also originates from biological material. The key difference between fossil fuel energy and biofuel energy is that the latter is derived from plants that were alive recently, while coal is derived from biological material that has been dead for hundreds and thousands of years.

Can Waste Oil Be Transformed Into Biofuel?

The remaining oil from frying chicken has the capability of being transformed to biofuel, which would be useful for powering a car or generator. To do this, the oil first needs to be collected, then heated in order to reduce its viscosity, and filtered to remove all unnecessary residues. After those pretty simple operations, which can be performed locally even in private garage, the biofuel or biodiesel is ready for being pumped into the car’s or generator’s tank (the only note is that the engine should be a diesel engine). However, used oil recycling is not the only way to generate biofuel energy.

Another method of transforming oil into biofuel is based on the process, called fermentation, which is, in fact, somewhere close to the process of beer brewing. Ethanol can now be produced from any biomass, containing carbohydrates, which are mostly plants that are rich in starch or sugar.

Today, the second and even third generations of biofuels are being developed. These new types of biofuel are aimed at generating energy from non-food crops, cellulose and even algae. Since, certain living algae produce ethanol during its life activity.

Overall, we must continue to emphasize the importance of utilizing biofuel, especially since it is much more environmentally friendly and cheaper than fossil fuels. In addition, biofuels are renewable resources of energy, allowing for continued sustainability.