Homemade BioDiesel
Homemade Biodiesel is easy. You need a few simple
supplies and they are readily available at your hardware
stores. All you need to do is to gather up 1 liter
of vegetable oil, antifreeze, and lye. As for the
equipment, you need a blender, scales, a few plastic
containers, funnels, empty water bottles, thermometer,
and a duct tape.
Make sure that you clean and thoroughly dry all
the equipment that you plan to use. They have to
be clean and dry and you should make sure that you
are careful as you handle the ingredients.
First, start by measuring out 200 ml of antifreeze
and placing it in a half liter plastic container
through a funnel, then quickly mix in the lye. Note
that 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 definitely
interfere with the biodiesel reaction. A good way
is to mix the two ingredients is to cover the container
and shake the contents rapidly until you feel the
container getting warm. The lye will rapidly dissolve
into the antifreeze, foaming up as sodium methoxide.
When the sodium methoxide is clear and there are
no particles floating in it, it is ready for the
next step.
Using a blender, (make sure that it is strictly
for the fuel, don't use it for food!) mix the vegetable
oil that has been heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit
with the sodium methoxide. The cover must be tight
and blend the mixture on a low speed for about twenty
minutes.
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Using a blender, (make sure that it is strictly
for the fuel, don't use it for food!) mix the vegetable
oil that has been heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit
with the sodium methoxide. The cover must be tight
and blend the mixture on a low speed for about twenty
minutes.
As soon as you are done processing the mixture,
remove the content from the blender. Take a funnel,
pour it into an empty, 2 liter water or soda bottle
and cap tightly. Allow the contents to settle for
at least eight hours.
Once the product settles, a dark colored layer will
form at the bottom of the bottle with a distinct
line of separation from the pale liquid at the top
of the bottle. The dark layer is glycerin, and the
top layer is biodiesel. Remove the biodiesel with
care to a glass jar or clean water bottle.
Now prepare two wash bottles by piercing a small
hole in the corner of two cleaned water bottles and
cover the holes with duct tape. Pour the newly created
biodiesel into one of the wash bottles, add a half
liter of fresh water and then 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. Remove
the duct tape so that you can drain out the water
from the biodiesel. 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 a week for
the biodiesel to clear and ready to use.
About the Author
Get
to know more about Biodiesel and how you can make
it at home. Visit us at www. biodieselathome.
net/sales.html
by Joseph Then
