Biodiesel Production from Varying Grades of Beef Tallow and Chicken Fat

Biodiesel is an alternative to conventional diesel fuel made from renewable resources such as animal fats and vegetable oils. The main impediment to widespread commercial development of biodiesel is its relatively high cost compared to traditional petroleum based diesel and its relative anonymity compared to other alternative fuels such as ethanol. Attendant feedstock and output price fluctuations for raw materials, energy and waste by-products as well as access to distribution channels present further challenges that are partially addressed in this research. Although biodiesel is most often produced from soybean oil in the U.S., animal fats (specifically chicken fat and beef tallow) may also serve as feedstocks and in turn reduce exposure to feedstock price risk. To what extent these feedstocks are technical and economic substitutes for soybean oil in the production of biodiesel is at the heart of this two-year proposal. Because this project utilizes Arkansas materials as feedstocks and results in a fuel that can be readily employed for transportation by farmers and truckers, it fits well within the MBTC mission of improving the quality of U.S. rural life through transportation.