Brazil’s state oil company, Petrobras, has pioneered a refining process whereby cleaner, high-quality diesel fuel can be made through the reaction of petroleum and vegetable oils. The new diesel is made by using hydrogen to process a mixture of 10%-18% soy oil and 82%-90% petroleum in a catalytic cracker. Brazil plans to tap its vast supply of soybeans to make the new fuel, which is named H-Bio because hydrogen is used as a reagent, or catalyst. The fuel differs from the B-2 biodiesel already being produced and sold at the pumps. (See “Brazil adding biodiesel to its fuels mix”—EcoAméricas, July ’04). B-2 biodiesel consists of 98% conventional diesel fuel and 2% biofuel made from vegetable oil and a... [Log in to read more]