Biofuel Dictionary Definitions

Biofuel is a term used to refer to all those fuels produced from biomass, that is, waste from plant organisms available in the current environment.

Biofuel components usually come from oilseeds, corn, sugarcane, wheat, cassava or cassava, soy or soy, eucalyptus, palm trees, sunflower, pine and algae oil.

The use of the prefix “bio” expresses that the fuel is renewable and, in theory, its use produces a minor impact on the environment, that is, it favors sustainable consumption.

A positive factor in the biofuel production process is that plants, during their growth in large crop fields, tend to absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. However, the energy expenditure to process the raw material in biofuel is greater than its benefits.

In any case, many countries have forced a mixture of biofuel to be mixed with current fuel, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which cause the greenhouse effect that affects global warming.

We study the possibility that biofuel can be generated in the future from cellulose, a plant cell material that is resistant. For this, it would be necessary to exploit this potential in trees and grasses.

Biofuel Classification

Depending on the raw material and the production process, biofuels can be classified as:

  • First generation biofuel: those whose raw materials are agricultural.
  • Second generation biofuel: those that use “non-food organic material”, such as crops not intended for food or waste of used oil, fruit peels, stems, wood shavings, etc.
  • Third generation biofuel: like the previous generation, they come from biomass and waste, but microalgae are added to this option.

Types of biofuel available in the market

Biodiesel

This type of biofuel is generated from rapeseed or canola oil, as well as from jatropha and soy.

Bioethanol

It is the biofuel that is generated from the alcoholic fermentation process of the sugars available in sugarcane and other products of plant origin

Biopropanol or Biobutanol

They are the least widespread of biofuels. Biobutanol refers to butanol that is obtained from biomass, and that can be used as fuel in gasoline engines. Biopropanol, on the other hand, can be used in machinery such as washing machines, electric generators, helicopters, etc.

Difference between biofuel and fossil fuel

Both biofuel and fossil fuel come from the oxidation process of natural substances that have completed their life cycle.

However, biofuel differs from fossil fuel in two elements: on the one hand, its composition is derived from the plant kingdom. On the other hand, while fossil fuels result from natural but millenary processes, biofuel is formed from currently available plants, so they can be grown to maintain production.