Tyson and Syntroleum join hands in manufacturing new breed of fuel from the remaining of meat – Part 2

The diesel they make is what’s known as a “drop-in” fuel — meaning you can use it as a direct substitute for regular diesel. Plus, it’s higher quality, with cetane levels as high as 88. Cetane is the equivalent of octane in gasoline; the higher cetane, the more evenly and more powerfully the fuel combusts. The average diesel has a cetane level of less than 50. The fuel also has a lower freezing point than regular diesel, making it idea for cold climates. And because the animal fat doesn’t start out with the impurities as fossil petroleum, the diesel has ultra low particulates, making it good for underground mining or anywhere air pollution is a problem.

Moreover, makes good jet fuel as well. Syntroleum has had its synthetic jet fuels certified for use by the Air Force, and last November Dynamic Fuels announced a deal to provide the juice to Alaska Airlines.

The shortcoming of this new venture is the price one has to pay for being friendly to the environment. Syntroleum reports that it is still losing money on the venture — turning a profit will require expanding the scale and convincing buyers to pay a premium for a better fuel. In time, the Geismar plant could produce as much as 75 million gallons per year. With all the beef and chicken Americans eat, the U.S. likely qualifies as the Saudi Arabia of animal oils. Yet it’s hard to envision this drop-in fuel ever being more than a drop in the bucket. The U.S. burns through 58 billion gallons of diesel each year.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=13448

Posted by Usman Khalid on Feb 21 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.