Before considering the biodiesel manufacturing process, there are few things that you should consider. "Safety first," and others have to do with any plans you may have about selling biodiesel fuel.
"First," burning biodiesel in your vehicle's engine may or may not void your vehicle warranty. READ your OME warranty to help make a wise decision. Selling home made biodiesel can really open up a can of worms if fuel you sold, or gave away trashes the fuel system or engine. Just call and ask a local parts dealer for the price of a single diesel fuel injector. It's also illegal to sell biodiesel that is not "fuel grade".
"Second", the biodiesel home making process can be a time consuming, labor intensive process so set aside week for your homemade diesel production. Make test batches and experience a few failures, as biodiesel production not always an exact science. The success of the venture depends on quite a few factors such as the humidity of the air and the quality of the vegetable oil you are using. It also will depend on your skill as a chemist and some would say luck! Fuel you make should be tested to be sure that you manufactured a fuel grade product. Otherwise you could be risking damage to your diesel engine.
Making Biodiesel at home is not for children. Materials used to make biodiesel are very toxic, so be aware of this before making this a "kid's science project."
On the other hand, ordinary people from all over the world (especially farmers!) have been making biodiesel at home for over half a century. Many of the ingredients used in biodiesel are toxic, but they are also common household chemicals.
"Example", the lye that is used in most recipes is sold in supermarkets and hardware stores as a drain-cleaner. Methanol, is the main or only ingredient in barbecue fuel or fuel for fondue heat cannisters. Methanol is sold in supermarkets as "stove fuel" and used at the dinner table. It's safe if you're careful and sensible about the handling and mixing of the product.
On the positive side, Biodiesel fuel works well in any diesel engine without any conversion or modifications to the engine or the fuel system. It can be cheap too, as long as you use the percentage of biodiesel fuel to regular diesel fuel, that is recommended in your owner's manual. More on home made Biodiesel can be found in this exceptional guide.http://tinyurl.com/p9gqw
