How to make biodiesel

Bio-Diesel Kit

Biodiesel Reactor Tanks Comparison

Reasons for Using Biodiesel

Biodiesel Production Startup

Biodiesel Useful Websites

How to Make BioDiesel?

Making biodiesel is actually separating the vegetable oil or the fat, incase it is produced from animal, from the glycerin. The chemical process name is transesterification. At the end of the process we receive two materials, glycerin and bio diesel also known with its chemical name as methyl ester.

As you can understand, the process of making biodiesel is not complicated and it is very easy to follow several steps. For the process of transesterification there are three ingredients, vegetable oil or animal fat, methanol (i.e. alcohol) and lye or soda caustic. In the bio-diesel production, the glycerin will be excluded from vegetable oil or the animal fat by a chemical reaction. In order to create this chemical reaction we use methanol and a catalyst such as lye. The ratio between these three ingredients is:

75% vegetable oil or animal fat
22% methanol
3% lye or soda caustic

Caution: Please protect your eyes and skin by wearing gloves and protecting glasses.

Mix all three materials in one container and leave the rest for the chemical reaction for about 50 minutes. After the chemical reaction take place the products are separated according to their specific weight. The glycerin is the heaviest so it will settle on the bottom of the container. The biodiesel will be above the glycerin.

Generally, this is the description of making bio diesel. Some biodiesel producers make it with different ingredients or that they mix the resulted biodiesel with paraffin or other type of petrolatum to make it thinner and more liquid but basically this is the process and by using or preparing biodiesel you help for a cleaner environment and being economically wise.

Recommended books:

Electricity Make It Don't Buy It - This book shows you how to set up electric company running on biodiesel in your backyard.
Biodiesel Processor kit Manual - Step by step guide includes over 200 pictures and drawings of every single part of the kit.
Biodiesel Homebrew Guide By Maria "Mark" Alovert- Everything you need to know to make quality alternative diesel fuel out of waste restaurant fryer oil.