Is there any connection between wine and biodiesel? The
answer is yes, however surprising it may seem. Acetals are chemical compounds
found in many wines, like port, for example, which give it a unique, sweet
smell. However if acetals are blended with biodiesel, they improve its
properties. The SUPREN research group of the Department of Chemical Engineering
and the Environment of the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao (UPV/EHU) is
working on a project that is seeking to encourage the use of this rare fuel.
The idea is to produce acetals more easily and more cheaply. The starting point
is the alcohol obtained from sugar-rich plants, or glycerol, a bi-product of
biodiesel which is also a kind of alcohol. The aim is to come up with an
industrial process to obtain the supplements that will improve the biodiesel we
will eventually be putting into our vehicles.