Playing Chicken With Biodiesel

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

Schmaltz: it's not just for matzo balls any more. Consurmeraffairs.com reports that researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a method of converting chicken fat into biodiesel, with a yield in excess of 89 percent. Most biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils. With the exception of home-brewed biodiesel made from used fast food fry oil, vegetable oils are more expensive to produce than petro-diesel because of the high cost of farm production (including petro-chemical based fertilizers). The new process converts chicken fat, a byproduct of Arkansas' thriving poultry industry, into biodiesel in one step, using methanol under high temperatures and pressures. So far there's no talk of turning it into a commercial process, but it may not be too long before your exhaust smells more like your Bubbe's kitchen than a truck stop.

Frank Williams
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  • Blunozer Blunozer on Dec 27, 2007

    Look out Texas! Here come's Kentucky! With the Colonel leading the charge! Just imagine if Chik-Fil-A and Popeye's were the next Exxon or BP.

  • NICKNICK NICKNICK on Dec 27, 2007

    i don't mind solving the nation's obesity problem this way, but if you can smell french fries from the tailpipe by burning frier oil, i worry about the smell of burning people fat. if you don't eat a bag and a half of pork rinds every single day and burn your lipoed belly in your cummins dodge, the terrorists have already won

  • Nopanegain Nopanegain on Dec 27, 2007

    I have said it before in another post, but how does Williams come up with his Kosher references? If you wind up covering NYIAS we have to take you out for some Katz's Jewish soul food.

  • Carlisimo Carlisimo on Dec 27, 2007

    What will vegetarians drive?

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