Table of Contents:

I. Current technologies in biodiesel production

1. Historical development
2. Chemical principles of transesterification
3. Starting materials for biodiesel production
3.1 Fats and oils
3.2 Alcohols
3.3 Catalysts
4. Additional process variables in biodiesel production
5. Alternative applications of fatty acid methyl esters

II. Fuel properties, quality specifications and fuel analysis for
biodiesel and fossil diesel

1. General considerations
2. Historical development of biodiesel fuel standards
3. Quality parameters specific to FAME fuels
4. Parameters applicable to both biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel
5. Selected additional parameters

III. Exhaust emissions and exhaust gas aftertreatment systems for biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel

1. General considerations about combustion in a diesel engine
2. Exhaust emissions of biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel
3. Strategies for exhaust gas aftertreatment

IV. Human health effects of biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel exhaust emissions

1. General considerations
2. Toxicity of biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel exhaust emissions
3. Mutagenic potential of biodiesel and fossil diesel exhaust emissions

V. Environmental impacts of the use of biodiesel and fossil diesel fuel

1. Historical development of life cycle assessment
2. Basic principles of life cycle analyses
3. Energy balances and life cycle analyses for biodiesel and
fossil diesel fuel
3.1 Energy balances
3.2 Life cycle analyses

VI. Appendix: Fuel properties of biodiesel produced from different raw materials

1. Fresh oils or fats and their respective alkyl esters
2. Used or waste oils and fats and their respective alkyl esters