Put a pig in your petrol

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Source: AutoCar

Never mind Esso’s suggestion to ‘put a tiger in your tank’; we could soon be putting a pig in our petrol.

Well, diesel, actually. American oil company ConocoPhillips and food producer Tyson Foods have announced a plan to produce diesel from pork, beef and chicken fat.

The processed animal fats will be turned into a kind of diesel similar to biodiesel, and with the same chemical properties as oil-based diesel.

That means that engines will require no modification to run on the animal fuel. The fat is a by-product from Tyson – the world’s largest meat producer – and is currently used for making soaps and cosmetics.

We don’t understand the technology behind it, but ConocoPhilips and Tyson say that it will create a low-sulphur fuel.

According to the two companies, “Using a proprietary thermal depolymerization production technology, the animal fats will be processed with hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce a high-quality diesel fuel…The addition of animal fat also improves the fuel’s ignition properties, while the processing step improves its storage stability and handling characteristics.”

If things go to plan, the fatty fuel will be on sale in the US by the end of 2007, and should account for around three per cent of ConocoPhilips’ total output, or 175 million gallons of animal diesel a year.

The porcine petrol may even make it to Europe: the first tests were carried out at ConocoPhilips’ plant in Cork, Ireland.

We’re just hoping that the exhaust fumes smell like a bacon sarnie.
 
"Mmmm....bacon.....oh damn it, it's just a truck."

This isn't a bad idea actually, good way to get rid of the unwanted portions of the animal.
 
Cars running on chip fat and now probably on pig fat.
Just think: "Mom I can smell pork and chips, im hungry".
"Don't panic dear its just the cars in front" lol
An ok idea but i think the smell could get annoying:yuck:
 
After reading an article on the effects of Bio-diesel I'm abit skeptical about whether this hides certain facts aswell.

However, I don't think there'd be enough fuel to power much more than the companies fleet. Every little helps I suppose.
 
They are doing a trial of this now. They have a station all set up in Birmingham.
 
They can use E85 as a healthy, non-animal harming, biofuel.
 
vladimir
what about vegetarians?
Click to expand...

As one of those, it was my first thought. I see Joey has an answer, but what about the smell? I, for one, can't stand that smell... Though, if it remains pig-based, Israel won't be getting it - for once I'm happy with the Kosher stuff.
 
It actually makes a bit of sense, compared to growing crops exclusively for biodiesel, as this is a by-product that would normally go to waste.

Imagine a pair of laws stating that meat served to the public must be 99% fat-free... and that said fat be turned over to processing stations to run truck fleets... you'd have thinner folks driving on sweeter smelling diesel... :lol:
 
A pig in my petrol? I'll pass. I'd rather run my car on hot sick than this.

*No, not really, but bacon makes you feel nauseous after awhile*
 

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