Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: maceng2 who wrote (24763)	10/30/2002 9:07:56 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 74559

PB, when vegetable oil is taxed as it will be if it becomes significant, it's more expensive than diesel fuel, especially when Saudi Arabia etc decide to defend their market share with price cuts. The viscosity is wrong, so atomisation is bad and fuel consumption and air pollution [and engine pollution] increased. Sure, the viscosity can be adjusted by blending, but then you are up to refinery scale processes and you'll find it's not something for which you'll be able to attract investors. We [BP Oil NZ] tried to make tallow ester acceptable as a fuel blend [tallow being almost a waste product] but no dice. It's all too hard and expensive. Methanol went up in price, crude oil down, processes are costly. Lubricity matters too [for injector pump wear protection]. Stability matters. Compatibility with other fuels too. Mixing used filtered hydraulic oil would be another option. Or EDM fluid [which is kerosenish] [EDM = electro-discharge machine]. There's lots of stuff which will burn. The cost of and consequences of burning the stuff is what matters. Mqurice