Making Your Own Biodiesel

[sirawannnl]

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Making Your Own Biodiesel

By : Shana Shane

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Making Your Own Biodiesel

by shana

1. Biodiesel is EASY to make.

You can make Biodiesel in your kitchen!. Anybody can make biodiesel.

2. Biodiesel is BETTER than the Petro-diesel fuel

Biodiesel is cleaner. It cuts down on targeted emission - better for the environment and better for health.

3. Biodiesel provides good engine performance.

Your diesel motor will run better and last longer on your home-made fuel.

4. The production and use of biodiesel create less carbon dioxide emission compared to petroleum diesel.

Hence Causing less damage to the atmosphere.

5. The Raw Material for making Biodiesel is Renewable and Biodegradable.

You can make biodiesel from Vegetable Oil such as palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Soy Oil, etc.

6. Petroleum Oil Prices is increasing.

Now, Biodiesel is at it's infancy. It is the best time for you to start experimenting with biodiesel and if you know how to make it, then when biodeiesel is in demand, you will be at the top.

7. Biodiesel can be used neat or blended with petroleum diesel in any proportions.

So, when petroleum diesel is too highly priced, like it is now, your biodiesel will be very much in demand.

8. No modification is required on your diesel engine.

Biodiesel operates in conventional combustion-ignition engines, from light to heavy-duty just like petroleum diesel and no engine modifications are required.

9. Fossil fuel is depleting.

Fossil fuel products have been used by mankind as a source of energy and it was assumed that they will last forever. Time has changed: with fossil fuel on depletion and global warming on the increase, it is time to create a sustainable world.

10. Best of all is the GREAT feeling of freedom, independence and empowerment it will give you.

Have you experience such a feeling? You know what I mean.

So, How to make Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is most commonly made by chemically altering an organic oil through the use of a catalyst and an alcohol, typically Methanol. The chemical reaction that occurs through this process breaks down the oil molecules and replaces the glycerine portion of the molecule with an alcohol molecule. The glycerine falls to the bottom and is drained off resulting in Biodiesel.

Biodiesel is known chemically as a 'fatty acid methyl ester'. Which is just a fancy way of saying it's a product made from Methanol and an organic oil with fatty acid chains in it. It is easily made and has many benefits, including environmentally friendlier tailpipe emissions and improved engine performance.

Biodiesel is actually very simple to make. Anybody can make biodiesel. It's easy, you can make it in your kitchen -- and it's BETTER than the petro-diesel fuel the big oil companies sell you. It is made by chemically altering the molecular structure of any organic oil through the use of a chemical catalyst and an alcohol.

This is how to make Biodiesel:

To do this, oil is simply heated to a designated temperature (to help with the chemical reaction) and then a mixture of catalyst and an alcohol are added to the oil. The oil, catalyst, and alcohol mixture are then mixed for a period of time and then allowed to settle. If successful, the chemical reaction between the oil, alcohol, and the catalyst will have broken down the oil into several layers. The top layer will be biodiesel, chemically called an Ester, the next layer may contain soap, and the bottom layer will be glycerine.

Once the layering has occured, the glycerine and soap are drained off. The biodiesel is then washed with either a mist-wash, a bubble-wash, or both. The washing is done to remove any additional soap, alcohol, or other impurities in the biodiesel.

After it's been washed, it is then dried to remove any water. Commonly it is then filtered through fuel filters and is then ready to be used.

So, do you think yo can make biodiesel now? No, of course not. If it is so simple, then everyone will be making it. You need to obtain more information and gain more knowledge in this area. Come and visit

There is plenty of information there.

More on making Biodiesel Below:

Picture an oil molecule? Now that's probably a bit hard, without a microscope you can't actually see one. Instead lets look at a ping pong ball with three tennis balls stuck to the side. The three tennis balls are what we are interested in, the ping pong ball is glycerin

A simple chemical reaction with a big name will separate these tennis balls from the ping pong ball. In fact this chemical reaction will do a lot more. You will note when you get used veggie oil from the local fast food store that it looks a bit yuk. Apart from the veggie oil you will have bits of cooking detritus like chip bits, crumbs, bits of burnt stuff and other gunk that make the oil unsuited to healthy cooking. Performing this chemical reaction will separate this stuff as well as the glycerin. What you will get is clean biodiesel separated from and lighter than the glycerin and gunky stuff that once made up your used veggie oil.

This simple process of making Biodiesel with a big name is called transesterification! At right is a sample of transesterised veggie oil or biodiesel, (keep reading for a recipe)! In this sample you can clearly see the clean biodiesel fuel above and distinctly separated from the

Transesterification of veggie oil (making biodiesel) can be performed at home using a home made mixing tank and two readily available ingredients. The mixing tank(s) I use are pictured below, the simple ingredients are methanol and caustic soda. Methanol is a racing fuel available from fuel agents and specialized fuel providers, caustic soda or lye is available from the cleaning goods section of your local supermarket.

Basically what you do is mix the caustic soda with the methanol and then mix the resultant brew into the veggie oil then settle the resultant mix in a tapered bottom mixing tank. The biodiesel, which is lighter than the glycerin and detritus will sit on top of a totally separate layer of glycerin and contaminants.

You can try this at home

I am going to tell you a little bit more about Palm Oil Biodiesel.

Palm oil is the most productive vegetable oil crop and with agronomic techniques developed it is sufficient to be used as energy, oils and fats.

Palm oil is eco-friendly as through production:

It alleviates global warming,

It conserves soil and water quality,

Its empty fruit bunches, old fronds and palm oil mill effluent are recycled back to the land as inorganic fertilizers,

It utilizes positive energy balance,

It uses minimum amount of pesticides,

Barn owls help control the rodent population in palm plantations,

Its residues and waste materials are used in the wood industries,

The production of palm kernel cake is used for animal feed,

No burning is needed in replanting palm trees.

And the end product, biodiesel creates 78% less carbon dioxide emission, a green house gas that contributes to global warming by preventing some of the sun's radiation from escaping the earth. Biodiesel fuel also effectively eliminates sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions, which are major contributors to acid rain. That's because, unlike petroleum-based diesel fuel, biodiesel is free of sulfur impurities. Combustion of biodiesel additionally provides a 56% reduction in hydrocarbon emissions and yields significant reductions in carbon monoxide and soot particles compared to petroleum-based diesel fuel. Also, biodiesel can reduce the carcinogenic properties of diesel fuel by 94%.

Therefore, palm biodiesel brings prosperous future where energy is clean, abundant, reliable and affordable.

For more information on Palm Oil Biodiesel,

Shana's expertise is in renewable raw materials such as oleochemicals, and here she features a topic on biodiesel. Shana is a chemical engineer who have built and run an oleochemical factory for a large multinational corporation.

sirawannnl

[naka]

Spoke to my condo manager about this ... He said "no can do in condo ! ... darn.

And this despite a surplus of fatty farangs in my building

Naka.

[gregb]

Ummm....done it my bathroom before. Just test batches of course.

Word of advice? Don't tell your building manager. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Making your own biodiesel is fun and educational. The only part to be a little bit careful of is when making the salt-methoxide.

It's not really dangerous though unless you are particularly clumsy or stupid. It's almost exactly the same thing that happens when you pour lye down your drain to unclog the sink. If that doesn't cause problems, then making the methoxide shouldn't be a problem for you either. A fan would be a prudent tool during this step however.

The best part about doing it in your bathroom is it's a perfect place for the soap that is left over. :-)

BTW, if you really want to do this, I highly recommend ready the Journey to Forever website (journeytoforever.org). Very informative, and gives many different techniques.

[Khun Jean]

I am a coconut geek. So i did use coconut oil. Is already a few years ago but it is extremely simple.

For a sample go to a market and ask the coconut to be pressed without adding water. You will get a whitish milk.

Put it in a pan and let it sit on a small fire for a while. The oil and 'milk' will seperate. Another way is to just wait until it ferments.

The oil you can pour straight into you diesel tank. Happy driving. (just be sure your tubing can stand the oil, same for other biodiesels).

The oil is quit healthy to eat to. Use it instead of palm oil or other cooking oils.

[thai_narak]

I am a coconut geek. So i did use coconut oil. Is already a few years ago but it is extremely simple.

For a sample go to a market and ask the coconut to be pressed without adding water. You will get a whitish milk.

Put it in a pan and let it sit on a small fire for a while. The oil and 'milk' will seperate. Another way is to just wait until it ferments.

The oil you can pour straight into you diesel tank. Happy driving. (just be sure your tubing can stand the oil, same for other biodiesels).

The oil is quit healthy to eat to. Use it instead of palm oil or other cooking oils.

just like that? aren't you mixing petrol (diesel) or kerosene? wow, your engine is tough...

[Khun Jean]

That is the best thing about coconut oil, you don't have to mess with chemicals. I think when biodiesel will get popular, the chemicals will get more and more expensive. Defeats the whole point.

Coconut oil does need a temperature higher than 25 degrees celcius, but in Thailand that is not really a problem. If it is colder just mix it with 5-10% diesel and your good to go.

The engine only ran smoother and smoother.

I used it in a toyota pickup 2 liter diesel, 12 years old.

(That was two years ago). Now i am car free.

[thai_narak]

what about the mileage of biodiesel? just how many kilo of coconut you need to make 50 liters of oil (full tank)? what about when mixing 10% diesel, i think you need some kind of processor (blender) to do this. you need a very big one when mixing 45-5 biodiesel-diesel in one time.

[AlexLah]

Almost for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Check it out: http://www.vegiecars.com/Vegie_Fuel/

[Khun Jean]

I did not really measure as it is quit difficult to estimate how much oil a coconut has. It depends obvious on size but also on age. Olde rcoconuts with more 'meat' have more oil.

But in practice about 3-4 coconuts for 1 liter. In the south that is around 10 baht. Add some for processing.

In Thailand probably not a way of saving a lot of money. If produced in large quantities, perhaps. I did it more for the fun and that it could be done. One more road to self sufficiency.

About the milage, it is about 10-15% more compared with normal diesel.

But not only that, it has more power, and runs smoother. And it smells better.

Edited October 19, 2007 by Khun Jean

[astral]

I don't know what the situation is in Thailand,

but in the UK this would be illegal as you are avoiding paying the tax on the fuel.

[AlexLah]

Waste Vegetable oil is available from just about any food stall, takeaway, café, restaurant and often with such a high quality that you can pour it directly into your fuel tank and drive away!

Yes the stuff (oil) they use to fry.

They will give to you for free in most cases and the only thing you have to do is to filter it and pour it into your tank if you have a diesel engine.

Yes it is really that simple.

I do not have a diesel engined car but would do it for sure if I had one.

Cheers all,

Alex

[thai_narak]

I don't know what the situation is in Thailand,

but in the UK this would be illegal as you are avoiding paying the tax on the fuel.

but you already paid taxes when you bought the cooking oil...