Scribd
Upload
55 views10 pages

Biodiesel: - A Replacement For Fuel

Biodiesel can be made at home from vegetable oils as an alternative fuel that burns cleaner than petroleum diesel. The process involves heating vegetable oil to 130-140°F then mixing it with methanol and lye to produce biodiesel and glycerin in separate layers. The biodiesel can be refined through multiple water washes to remove impurities until the water remains clear. Producing biodiesel at home on a small scale is a simple and affordable way to gain knowledge about sustainable biofuels.

Uploaded by

Yerramsetty Chakrapani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
55 views10 pages

Biodiesel: - A Replacement For Fuel

Biodiesel can be made at home from vegetable oils as an alternative fuel that burns cleaner than petroleum diesel. The process involves heating vegetable oil to 130-140°F then mixing it with methanol and lye to produce biodiesel and glycerin in separate layers. The biodiesel can be refined through multiple water washes to remove impurities until the water remains clear. Producing biodiesel at home on a small scale is a simple and affordable way to gain knowledge about sustainable biofuels.

Uploaded by

Yerramsetty Chakrapani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
You are on page 1/ 10

BIODIESEL

-A Replacement for fuel


introduction
• Petroleum has been the transportation fuel of
choice for more than a century now, but its not
the only fuel that can run our cars and trucks .
Some of the most promising replacements for oil
come from organic biomass, including crops such
as corn and soya bean.
• Biofuels are attractive because they can be used
in gasoline and diesel engines but unlike oil they
burn cleaner then petroleum fuels ,with lower
greenhouse gas emission
Bio fuels
• Bio fuels made from plants could one day help us reduce our
dependency on fossil fuels.
Biofuels burn cleaner than fossil fuels , releasing fewer pollutants
and greenhouse gases .they are sustainable .In other words ,unlike
oil, coal or natural gas biofuels wont run out .
Biofuels fall into two main categories :
Bio alcohol and biodiesel
To create bioalcohol such as ethanol , engineers use yeast and
bacteria to break down the starch in corn and other plants.
To create biodiesel, refineries use the oil already found in crops
such as soyabean ,these vegetable oils are treated with alcohol and
turned into biodiesel.
Top biofuel crops
• Corn
• Rapeseed/canola
• Sugarcane
• Palm oil
• Jatropha
• Soyabeans
• Cottonseed
• Sunflowers
• Wheat
• switchgrass
Recipe for bio diesel
• Knowing about alternative fuels ,how to make them, and
how to use them can be a helpful trick to have if you are ever
In a situation where diesel fuel is sparse (for you truck , car, or
even a generator ).Made from either animal fats or vegetable
based oils, biodiesel is one of the easiest types of alternative
fuels to make due to the simple process involved and the
easy availability of the main ingredients.
before we get started making huge batches of biodiesel,
thinking you are going to barrel the stuff and becomes the
next Rockefeller , you should make a small batch to ensure
that you know what you are doing first . This recipe for
biodiesel will make about one liter of fuel
Stuff Needed
• The supplies to convert vegetable oil to a biofuel are simple and relatively inexpensive to procure.
The supplies we use for this kit are minimal, and most of us will have them laying around our home . Safety should be
one of your main concerns hen making your biodiesel. You are using chemicals , such as lye, which are highly
corrosive , and they can burn and blind you. For that eye protection and protective clothing like rubber gloves and
aprons should be used. Fumes from the process itself are dangerous ,so working in a well ventilated area.
• One liter of vegetable oil
• 200ml of methyl alcohol
• 6 grams of sodium hydroxide (lye)
• Glass measuring cup
• One and two liter bottles
• Sauce pan and a heat source(stove)
• Thermometer
• Funnel
• One quarter glass jar
• Kitchen scale (digital)

For the vegetable oil, you can simply buy some at the store .methyl alcohol is the active ingredient in antifreeze and
can be found cheaply at any auto supply store .Lye is the active ingredient in heavy duty drain cleaners (it may be
labeled sodium hydroxide or NaOH) and can be purchase at hardware and cleaning supply stores .
procedure
• Place one liter of vegetable oil in the pan and heat it on low until it
reaches between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit . Any higher than that
and we will run the risk of melting the plastic mixing container
• Using a candy thermometer is a good way to maintain proper temperature
control as it can be suspended by the side of the pot so it measures the
liquid and not the bottom of the pot
• Thoroughly mix the 200ml of methyl alcohol with 6 grams of sodium
hydroxide (lye) in a glass jar this will create a sodium methoxide mixture .
• Add the methyl alcohol and lye mixture to the plastic container .do this
slowly to avoid splattering or spilling , and make sure to wear gloves
• Secure the containers lid and shake or stir it continuously for at least five
minutes .if you are using a two liter bottle ,turn it upside down in a secure
location and let it sit like this for at least two days ,you will notice that the
glycerin and the biodiesel will begin to separate as visible layers in your
bottle with the glycerin ,impurities , and debris settling to the bottom
Refining
• If we use a vegetable oil that is full of impurities (for example , fryer
oil from a restaurant ),we need to refine and filter our mixture more
. A simple way to do this is with a water wash by adding a 1:1 ratio
of water to our biodiesel .Be careful to add the water very gently .
We should then turn the closed bottle upside down for 24 hours
,the same as we did when creating the biodiesel originally.
• After the 24 hours have elapsed , you will notice a separation
between the dirty water on the bottom and cleaner biodiesel on
top. When it has been separated , simply open the bottle slightly
and let out the dirty water in the same way let out the glycerin. We
should this over and over again until our biodiesel no longer creates
this dirty water layer . Then leave the biodiesel sitting open for a
week or so to let th e remaining water evaporate .At this point we
will have a batch of relatively pure biodiesel.
conclusion
• Our project to make biodiesel is very useful and simple.
Most of the things which we need in the project are
found in our homes and a few things can be bought in
most of stores around our homes and they are not very
costly.
• 5 of gained lot of knowledge because of this project.
• As all of us know that petroleum which is refined to
produce fuels like paraffin ,diesel oil etc is not a
sustainable source ,we should switch to more
sustainable source like bio diesel ,biofuels etc.
• our project is an effort to make bio diesel at home.
Thank you

You might also like