Biodiesel Research Progress - 1992-1997

Since the oil shortage during the late 1970s, the United States has imported more than $50 billion of oil annually, or 52% of its demand. Two-thirds of U.S. refineries have closed. Air pollution remains a threat to human health. Climate change has surfaced as a global concern requiring legally binding solutions. The U.S. farm economy continues to struggle for sovereignty. 
For these reasons, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fuels Development began evaluating the potential of various alternative fuels, including biodiesel, as replacement fuels for traditional transportation fuels. Biodiesel is derived from a variety of biological materials from waste vegetable grease to soybean oil. This alkyl ester could be used as a replacement, blend, or additive to diesel fuel.
This document, funded by DOE, is a comprehensive summary of relevant biodiesel and biodiesel-related research, development, demonstration, and commercialization projects completed and/or started in the United States between 1992 and 1997. This document was designed for use as a reference tool to those evaluating biodiesel’s potential as a clean-burning alternative motor fuel. It encompasses federally, academically, and privately funded projects.