Page 2 - Shimadzu Renewable Fuels Industry

Biofuels from Ancient

History to Today

Biofuels and bioenergy are as old as civilization itself. Solid biofuels like wood,
dung and charcoal have been used ever since man discovered fire, and are still
used today for cooking and heating in many communities in developing countries.

Even liquid biofuels such as olive oil and whale oil have been used at least since
early antiquity. Whale oil was extensively used in the mid-1700s and early 1800s
and was the fuel of choice for lighting houses.

The first cars ever built were made to function on biofuels, rather than fossil
fuels. The first internal combustion engine to be patented in the US in 1826 was
designed to run on a blend of ethanol and turpentine (derived from pine trees).
Henry Ford designed his original 1908 Model T to run on ethanol and Rudolph

Diesel intended to power his engine with vegetable oil

During World War I, there were (fossil) oil shortages, and therefore ethanol was in
high demand, as it became known that ethanol could be blended with gasoline for

a suitable motor fuel.

Because fossil fuels are finite, many countries are part of a global movement
to produce more alternative or renewable fuels. Not to mention, they are used

to reduce harmful gas emissions. From bioethanol to biodiesel, these fuels are
becoming more ubiquitous at the gas stations and airport fuel facilities of the
world due to governmental mandates. Producing biofuels from natural plant
sources (typically corn or sugar cane based) creates production and analytical

challenges.

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