Homemade Biodiesel

Though not guaranteeing their effectiveness or accuracy, many Biodiesel "homemade" recipes have started to circulate everywhere and for those environmental lovers or just people wanting to learn a little more about this subject, these are interesting to share. Since Biodiesel is the name given to the clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic renewable resources, it is easy to figure out the ingredients you need are as close as your kitchen.

However, Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. Indeed, it is produced from any fat or oil, but through a refinery process called transesterification. This fuel does not contain petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petrodiesel to create what is known as biodiesel blend. Biodieses can be also used in compression-ignition engines with little or no modifications. Serious fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced only to strict industry specifications to insure its proper performance.

People making biodiesel at home are just experimenting and refining their techniques and processes with successfully results. These recipes require some chemicals that can be toxic and even dangerous, so be extremely careful taking all safety precautions. We do not assume any responsibility for any injuries or damage to your person or any vehicle from using homemade biodiesel.

At experimental level, these recipes come from the University of Idaho and require the following ingredients:

250g of rapeseed oil
2.5 g of potassium hydroxide (1% by weight of the oil)
Catalyst 72 g of ethanol (200 proof) (twice as much as the minimum necessary)

The preparation consists of dissolving the catalyst in the ethanol, stirring and slight heating. Add this mixture to the oil and stir vigorously. Repose 2 hours as reaction time at room temperature, or sit the mixture overnight while separation occurs. Finally pour off the biodiesel from the top of the container

A basic homemade recipe can be obtained mixing the following ingredients:

100 lbs of Soybean Oil
15 lbs of alcohol (methanol)
1 lb of catalyst (sodium hydroxide)
100 lbs biodiesel
10 lbs glycerol
5 lbs methynol (reusable)
1 lb soap

Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, non-toxic when meeting ASTM D6751, and it is essentially free of sulfur and aromatics, legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution.