Cheaper Biodiesel Catalyst

Japanese scientists have discovered a better way to convert vegetable oil into biodiesel. With a cheaper catalyst (up to 50 times cheaper) than what is currently used.

According to an Article from the National Geographic

Any vegetable oil can become fuel, but not until its fatty acids are converted to chemical compounds known as esters. Currently the acids used to convert the fatty acids are prohibitively expensive. Michikazu Hara, of the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Yokohama, Japan, and his colleagues have used common, inexpensive sugars to form a recyclable solid acid that does the job on the cheap.