Make Biodiesel

We always hear the expression fuel independence, which normally means moving away from dependence on foreign oil. Reliance on domestic biofuel is one way to achieve that. But some people take the concept further and make biodiesel at home. When people use commercial biodiesel, the product can be used in standard diesel engines. However, when people make biodiesel from waste and vegetable oils, then they need to convert the diesel engine which will operate on this type of diesel. It’s not a legally recognized type of fuel, but it’s unlikely that it would lead to serious trouble with the law.

Besides the oil, you’ll need alcohol (methanol or ethanol) and a catalyst, which can be lye, to make biodiesel. The fuel will be the result of a chemical reaction between oil and alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Since all these materials can be abrasive, it’s important to pay attention to safety. Rubber gloves, safety goggles and long sleeves are advisable when handling biodiesel materials.

Pour one liter of vegetable oil into a 2-liter plastic bottle that can double as a ‘reactor vessel’. In a different container, combine the lye with 250ml of methanol to create a compound called methoxide. Stir for a while until it dissolves completely. Put a lid on it and shake to ensure it’s completely dissolved. Add the mixture into the oil and shake it up to get the most complete reaction. After that, put the bottle upside down (cap down) so that the glycerine settles on the bottom of the 2-liter bottle/reactor. This process will take an hour. Then slowly open the bottle and drain off the glycerine. After that, add water to the biodiesel.

Shake the biodiesel slowly in order to dissolve the methanol and lye that are still present in the biodiesel. Let it settle for a while until you can see a murky white layer at the bottom of the biodiesel bottle. That is a combination of water, methanol and lye and should be removed, like the glycerine was before. The next step is to remove the water from the biodiesel. Simply pour the biodiesel into an open jar so the remaining water can evaporate.