Hemp Fuel+++

Hemp can be used to produce various fuels, including biodiesel and biofuels like ethanol and methanol, according to the Hemp Gazette. 

Hemp oil can be processed into biodiesel, while the whole hemp plant can be used for ethanol and methanol production. These fuels, sometimes referred to as hempanol, can be used in vehicles. 

Biodiesel:

Hemp oil, derived from hemp seeds and stalks, can be transformed into biodiesel through a process called transesterification. This biodiesel is a renewable and domestically produced fuel option. 

Ethanol and Methanol:

The entire hemp plant, including stalks, leaves, and flowers, can be used to produce ethanol and methanol. These alcohols are produced through processes like fermentation and cellulolysis. 

Hemp as a Feedstock:

Hemp is considered a viable and attractive feedstock for biofuel production, offering a sustainable and renewable source of energy. It can be used to produce both second-generation biofuels like ethanol and third-generation biofuels like biodiesel. 

Benefits of Hemp Fuel:

Renewable and Sustainable: Hemp is a renewable resource that can be cultivated domestically. 

Carbon Reduction: Hemp biofuel can contribute to reducing carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. 

Environmental Advantages: Hemp can be grown with minimal use of pesticides and herbicides. 

Versatile: Hemp can be processed into different types of biofuels and can be used in various applications. 

Historical Use:

Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, originally envisioned his invention running on vegetable and seed oils, including those from hemp. 

Challenges:

While hemp offers promising potential as a biofuel source, there are challenges to its widespread adoption, such as production costs and the need for infrastructure development. 

Hemp Biodiesel

Hemp seed contains around 30% oil – and this oil has been utilized for centuries as a fuel for lamps. Hempseed oil can also be transformed into biodiesel suitable for use in vehicles through a process called transesterification.

It’s been calculated that hemp can produce more than 800 litres of biodiesel per hectare per year – a greater yield than crops such as soybean, sunflower, peanut or rapeseed. 

Added to that is the potential to also produce methanol, ethanol, biogas and solid fuels from the rest of the plant.

Not only meeting the ATSM D6751 and EN 14214 standards for biodiesel quality, hemp biodiesel is apparently a superior fuel to other plant based products. 

It also outperforms conventional diesel in all areas except for oxidation stability, which can be addressed through the addition of anti-oxidants.

So, why isn’t hemp biodiesel more widely used?

 It pretty much boils down to availability and its relation to cost. Hempseed oil is sought after for a variety of applications and this means prices for the oil remain high.

However, as more countries finally wake up to the incredible potential of industrial hemp and more acreage is grown, the costs of this biofuel should decrease.

If you’re keen to try your hand at making hemp biodiesel, you can find instructions here.

Hemp Ethanol And Methanol

Unlike in biodiesel applications, the whole hemp plant can be used in ethanol or methanol production. As with biodiesel, ethanol and methanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles. 

When derived from industrial hemp, these alcohols are sometimes referred to as hempanol.

Ethanol is made from the sugars and starches of plants. 

To create ethanol from hemp, it requires a process called cellulolysis that consists of a number of stages.

***Pre-treatment to make the cellulose content in hemp suitable for hydrolysis.

***Breaking down the molecules into sugars using an enzyme that converts cellulose into glucose (cellulase).

***Separation of sugar materials from the lignin.

***Fermentation of the sugar solution.

***Distillation to extract the ethanol.

***The use of molecular sieves to increase ethanol concentration.

The idea of using hemp ethanol as a fuel in vehicles certainly isn’t new. 

Henry Ford reportedly originally cultivated hemp for the production of ethanol to use in his cars.

Henry Ford, the famous American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company, was granted a patent for the construction of a plastic car on January 13th, 1942. This revolutionary vehicle, known as the Soybean or Hemp Body car, was the first of its kind to have a body entirely made of plastic.

The use of plastic in car construction was a novel idea at the time, and Ford saw it as a way to make vehicles that were lighter and more fuel efficient. 

The panels of the Hemp Body car were only a quarter of an inch thick, and the entire vehicle was 30% lighter than a traditional metal car.

Unfortunately, the prototype for the Hemp Body car was never put into production due to the onset of World War II. 

All automobile production in the United States was curtailed significantly during the war, and Ford’s plastic car experiment was put on hold. 

Eventually, the prototype was destroyed, and the project was abandoned.

Despite the failure of the Hemp Body car, Henry Ford’s experimentation with plastic in car construction paved the way for future innovations in the automotive industry. 

Today, many vehicles are constructed using a variety of plastic materials, which contribute to their overall lightweight and fuel-efficient design.

In addition to its use in car construction, plastic has become a vital material in many other industries as well. 

It is used in the production of a wide range of products, from food packaging and medical equipment to toys and electronics.

The versatility and durability of plastic have made it an essential material in modern society, and its use is likely to continue to grow in the future. 

While Henry Ford’s plastic car may have been ahead of its time, it laid the foundation for the numerous innovations that have followed in the automotive and other industries.

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Source: https://www.garycrossleyford.com/blog/today-in-ford-history/henry-fords-plastic-hemp-car-january-13th-1942/