The First Biodiesel Patent Was Issued In 1937

The First Patent For Biodiesel

The first patent for what is known today as Biodiesel was issue in Belgium to G. Chavanne of the University of Brussels in 1937. The patent described a process of using vegetable oil as fuel. The patent described the transesterification of vegetable oil using ethanol and methanol to separate the glycerol from the fatty acids by replacing the glycerol with shorter linear alcohols. Though not referred to as Biodiesel at the time, the process is similar to that used today.