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Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 08:33:07 -0500
From: "J. Harris" <insectonopsamspring.com>
Subject: Vegetable oil for auto engines...


Could this be the "Beyond Petroleum" that BP is talking about? -- J.E. Harris '01 9-3 SE '97 900 SE '88 9000T R.I.P. WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Altering the chemical structure of vegetable oil could make the molecule more resistant to temperature changes and increase its use as a supplement to petroleum-based motor oil in automobiles, scientists said on Monday. A team of researchers led by Atanu Adhvaryu at the U.S. Agriculture Department have increased the temperature durability and shelf life of soybean oil by reducing the amount of double bonding in the molecule. Double bonding contributes to the vegetable oil molecule's instability as the temperature changes, reducing its effectiveness. Vegetable-based oils such as soybean have been increasingly used in automotive and industrial applications, but some businesses have been slow to place it in engines because of its higher cost and unreliability at extreme temperatures. "This is not going to replace conventional oil or anything that is going to be burned in the engine," Adhvaryu said in a telephone interview. "It has shown signs of great potential in use not as a sole fluid but as a complement with existing engine oil," he said. The research was issued at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society. Unlike existing petroleum-based oils that produce carbon monoxide and harmful hydrocarbons, vegetable oil yields molecules such as carbon dioxide and water. The vegetable motor oil derivative would initially cost about $2 a gallon more than conventional oil, but it would be cheaper in the long-run because it is biodegradable and does not harm the topsoil or water supplies, scientists said. "You don't look at the cost, you look at the end benefit," said Adhvaryu. "If a vegetable oil-based product is used it breaks down naturally, you don't have to spend money (to dispose) of it," he said. The vegetable oil would replace certain additives in motor oil that are used to prevent, for example, corrosion or the buildup of residue that can damage car filters or spark plugs. Already, corporate America has expressed interest in the new oil. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - News) plans to test the vegetable oil as a hydraulic fluid in its engines. Deere & Co. (NYSE:DE - News) and Alcoa (NYSE:AA - News) Inc. also plan to test the fluid.

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