An Open Road for the Environment – The Most Important Feedstock Chemicals for Biodiesel

Biodiesel is the most well-known biofuel in Europe and accounts for up to 7% of the content of diesel fuel blends.

Biodiesel is produced from oil-rich crops such as rapeseed – the seeds are ground and pressed to extract the oil, which accounts for around 40% of the seed mass. The oilseed cakes are then used in the animal feed sector because of their high protein content.

Natural plant oils are not suitable for use in standard diesel motors due to their molecular structure, which is why the oil is converted using a chemical process when producing biodiesel. This “transesterification” process is done by adding methanol and a catalyst such as potassium methylate (KM32) or potassium hydroxide. We reliably supply both methanol as a reagent and the catalyst to appropriate production facilities.

The production of conventional diesel consumes large quantities of fossil fuels. Because plant-based resources are used in the production of biodiesel, this biofuel has a lower carbon footprint and makes a significant contribution to protecting the climate. The ecological advantage is further boosted when using food and animal fat (i.e., waste products) instead of plant oils.