Homemade Biodiesel

Making Biodiesel Fuel at Home

What you will need to make biodiesel is 1 liter of vegetable oil, antifreeze and lye. You will also need a blender, scales, plastic containers, funnels, empty water bottles, duct tape and a thermometer.

NOTE: Make sure that all of the equipment you plan to use is cleaned and thoroughly dried. You will also want to make sure that all equipment is kept separated so it is not used for any other purpose except making biodiesel.

You will start the process by measuring 200 ml of antifreeze and putting into one of the plastic containers using a funnel. You will now want to mix in lye. The lye will quickly absorb the antifreeze, so you need to work fast. If you work too slowly the lye will absorb water from the air and will ruin the process. To mix the ingredients you should cover the container and shake it until it starts to feel warm. It should foam up which indicates it has produced sodium methoxide. Once the sodium methoxide is produced and is clear it is time to move onto the nest step.

Now you will need the blender. You will need vegetable oil that has been heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the vegetable oil with the sodium methoxide. You will want to pour it into the blender and cover it tightly. Now blend the mixture for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes you can then remove the mixture from the blender. Use a funnel to pour it into the 2 liter bottles. You will then need to allow it to sit for 8 hours. This allows it to settle and will separate out the byproduct, glycerin.

As it settles you will see a darker layer form on the bottom which is the glycerin. The pale liquid layer at the top is the biodiesel. After it has completed separation you can then remove the biodiesel and put it in a glass jar or plastic container.

Now you will want to prepare two wash bottles. You will poke a small hole in the corner of two bottles and then cover the holes with duct tape. Pour the biodiesel into one bottle and add a half liter of water to it. Put the cap on the bottle tightly. Turn the bottle on its side and roll it until well mixed. Now you can drain the water by removing the duct tape and pouring it out. Put the duct tape back on once all the water is removed.

Once the biodiesel becomes clear it is ready for use. You should be aware that it can take up to a week for the process to be completely finished and the biodiesel to be clear.
The process of making biodiesel is not hard and actually can be quite fun. It is sort of like a high school science project. However, making biodiesel can save you thousands of dollars.