Some years back, a man claimed that he extracted petrol from some wild plants, and there was a commotion about it. Later, this turned out to be a hoax. Scientists, however, say that it is possible to extract bio-oil from plants.
Some plants yield bio-oil known as bio-diesel. The oil derives from a wide range of vegetable oils and feed stock. The greatest quality of bio-diesel is that, unlike diesel or petrol, it contains no benzene, a carcinogenic agent. Therefore, the oil is cleaner and safer. The most popular herb from which bio-diesel is extracted is Jatropha. This plant has its origins in Latin America, but it is widespread throughout the arid and semiarid tropical regions of the world. The plant lives up to 50 years and is a perennial drought resistant plant. The oil of the plant has medicinal properties too.
Bio-diesel is manufactured in a conventional chemical process known as transesterification. Two chemical agents, methylesters and a by-product called glycerol, are produced in this process. Glycerol has so many uses as it is widely used in everything from toothpaste to antifreeze.
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