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Medical Definition of Biodiesel
1. A biofuel produced through transesterification, a process in which organically- derived oils are combined with alcohol (ethanol or methanol) in the presence of a catalyst to form ethyl or methyl ester. The biomass- derived ethyl or methyl esters can be blended with conventional diesel fuel or used as a neat fuel (100% biodiesel). Biodiesel can be made from soybean or rapeseed oils, animal fats, waste vegetable oils, or microalgae oils. (05 Dec 1998)