Field Trip -- Fall 2003

November 8th, 2003               

Boulder Biodiesel in Boulder, CO
New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, CO

Above:  Three samples of biodiesel in the Lab.  The sample to the left shows biodiesel with
a small amount of glycerol.  The middle sample shows a more cloudy, but still useful, sample of
biodiesel.  On the right, an excess of lye was placed in the oil.  The result is a thick, soapy solution.

The Agroecology Club left early to Boulder, Colorado to pay a visit to Boulder Biodiesel, a small biodiesel fuel distributor.  Biodiesel is considered a clean alternative to regular diesel and other fossil fuels in transport industries.  The fuel is derived from oils found within a great variety of plants, can even be salvaged from spent cooking grease and vegetable oil through a vigorous straining process.  We spoke with Martin at Boulder Biodiesel, who informed us that their fuel is produced from a combination of soybean oil and lye.  Through a chemical reaction between these two compounds, a large proportion of fuel and a small amount of glycerol is produced, along with methanol.  Due to its oily characteristics, biodiesel is a lubricant and can also be applied to bike chains or other such mechanical parts.  Speaking of bikes, how would you like to pedal for 20 miles to process enough of your own biodiesel for 1,000 miles of driving?  The folks at Boulder Biodiesel are working on it...

Here is the field trip crew (from left to right):  Dan, Betsy, Dave, Dave, Martin (our tour guide),
Wayne, Danny, Beate, Adrienne, and Andrew

We allowed ourselves ample time to find lunch and wander around in Fort Collins before continuing our tour at the New Belgium Brewery.

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