This article is about the fuel. For other uses see diesel (disambiguation).

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Diesel is a product used as a fuel.

Table of contents

1 Petrodiesel 2 Biodiesel 3 Uses

Petrodiesel

One can obtain diesel from petroleum, which is called petrodiesel. As a hydrocarbon mixture, it is obtained in the fractional distillation of crude oil between 250°C and 350°C at atmospheric pressure.

Biodiesel

One can obtain Biodiesel from vegetable oil and animal fats (bio-lipids, using transesterification. Biodiesel is a non-fossil fuel alternative to petrodiesel.

Uses

Diesel is identical with heating oil, used in central heating. In both Europe and the United States taxes on diesel fuel are higher than on heating oil, and in Europe, heating oil is marked with dye and trace chemicals to prevent and detect tax fraud.

Diesel is used in diesel engines (cars, boats, motorbikes...), a type of internal combustion engine. Rudolf Diesel originally designed the diesel engine to use coal dust as a fuel, but oil proved more effective.

The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed on January 6, 1930. The trip was from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City - a distance of nearly 800 miles. This feat helped to prove the usefulness of the engine.