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What Does Biodiesel Smell Like?

Vegetable oils and animal fat can help a restaurant whip up a batch of French fries -- and power a vehicle that might smell like them. Biodiesel, which is made using these natural substances, is a safe renewable fuel that's also good for the environment, because it doesn't produce carbon dioxide or other harmful emissions. Manufacturers have developed a process to convert animal fats, soybean oil and other types of oils into biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel can run in most diesel engines without owners having to install special equipment.

Biodiesel Benefits
- Because biodiesel fuel is produced domestically, using it can help reduce the nation's dependency on imported oil. Biodiesel also raises an engine's lubricity. This is helpful because fuels with higher lubricity help to keep moving parts from wearing out prematurely. Use biodiesel fuel made from used cooking oil, and you'll help keep sewer systems and landfills free of that oil.
Biodiesel Blends
- You don't have to use pure biodiesel to run a vehicle or power a generator. B20, for instance, is a biodiesel blend consisting of 80 percent petroleum diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. This blend is the most common in the United States, because it performs well in cold weather and represents a balance between emissions and cost. You can also purchase B100, a blend consisting entirely of biodiesel. B100 needs special handling and it produces less power than blends with less biodiesel. As the percentage of biodiesel in a gallon of fuel rises, the energy content of that gallon of fuel falls.
Savor the Smell
- According to Mercedes Benz, the smell is like that of French fry oil if the vehicle uses a B100 blend. The company also notes that the smell coming from a B5 blend is not different from the smell of regular diesel. In other words, the exact smell of biodiesel depends on the blend and the driver's sense of smell. Some say it smells like doughnuts, while others are reminded of steak grilling or popcorn.
Biodiesel Statistics
- Individuals and companies across the country use biodiesel to power their vehicles. You'll also find this fuel in school buses, city buses, U.S. Postal trucks and military vehicles. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 135 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in December 2013. Sixty-four percent of the total production came from the Midwest region, where 115 plants are able to produce 2.2 billion gallons of biodiesel fuel per year.
Health Concerns
- While French fries may taste good, they can be bad for your health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that unanswered questions remain about biodiesel's long-term health effect on people who breathe its fumes. EPA researchers continue to study biodiesel and hope to learn whether emissions from biodiesel and biodiesel blends can cause heart or lung problems, change gene structures or create other health problems.

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