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It's easy to make your own biodiesel at home. You need a few simple ingredients, all of which are readily available at hardware stores, supermarkets, etc. In fact, it's fun. Don't be intimidated. Chemistry is mixing and cooking. There's no need to overcomplicate this.
The things you will need to buy will be...
* 1 liter of vegetable oil,
* Antifreeze, (Containing "Methanol")
* Lye (Caustic Soda)
The tools you'll need to Make Biodiesel at Home are...
* Blender, (get a used one at GoodWill)
* Scales, (Diet or kitchen scales are fine)
* A few plastic containers,
* Funnels,
* Empty water bottles, (You can also use 1 liter Coke/Pepsi bottles)
* Good quality tape,
* A measuring cup with metric measurements
* Thermometer.
If you wanted to, you could also add...
* Plastic, chemical resistant gloves
* Lab apron
* Eye protection or face shield
Be sure all of the equipment is cleaned and thoroughly dried.
You should make sure that you are careful as you handle the ingredients, especially when mixing the Lye and Methanol. These can form a vapor that is harmful. Be sure to read the safety information at www.making-biodiesel-at-home.com.
Here's what you do...
Start by measuring out 200 ml (A ittle less than ½ a cup) of antifreeze and pour it into a liter plastic bottle through the funnel. Quickly mix in the lye. Lye absorbs water rapidly, so when you mix it with the antifreeze, work fast. If you work too slowly, it will absorb water from the air and that can ruin the biodiesel reaction. You can mix the two ingredients by covering the container and shaking the contents rapidly until it starts to react by getting warm. Don't panic...this is what it is supposed to do. The lye will rapidly dissolve into the antifreeze, foaming up as sodium methoxide. As soon as the sodium methoxide is clear with no particles floating in it, it is ready for the next step.
Using a blender, (one you don't plan on using for food preparation) mix the vegetable oil that has been heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit with the sodium methoxide. Make sure that the cover is on tightly (Your wife will not like this stuff flying all over the kitchen) and blend the mixture on a low speed for twenty minutes. Go have a coffee, relax, and watch the show.
As soon as you are done mixing the fuel in a blender, remove it. Using a funnel, pour the fuel into an empty, 1 or 2 liter water or soda bottle and screw the cap on tightly. Allow the contents to settle for at least 8 hours. Put in a nice cool place, where the kids or the dog won't get at it, for about 8 hours. Put it in a cabinet out in the garage and go to bed. When you wake up in the morning and check it you'll see something interesting...
...Did your mother ever tell you oil and water don't mix? She was correct...
Once the fuel mixture settles, a dark colored layer will form at the bottom of the bottle with a distinct line from the pale liquid at the top (Biodiesel) of the bottle. The dark layer is glycerin. Glycerin is a useful by-product and can be used to make soap or degreaser.
Carefully remove the biodiesel by holding the bottle upside-down and use your thumb as a drain, pour into a glass jar or clean water bottle.
Prepare two wash bottles by piercing a small hole in the corner of two cleaned water bottles and covering the holes with duct tape. Pour the biodiesel into one of the wash bottles and add a half liter of fresh water. Screw the cap on tightly. Turn the bottle on its side and roll it about with your hands until oil and water are well mixed together. Do this gently, gently, gently. Drain the water from the biodiesel by removing the duct tape and letting it drain out. Make sure that when the water has drained out, you block the hole so that the biodiesel remains.
Once the biodiesel is clear, the process is complete and it is ready to use. It can take up to a week for the biodiesel to completely clear and be ready to use.
Be sure to visit the web site below to learn more tips, techniques, time and money advice.
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