ALT-1 How to Make your own Biodiesel
Biodiesel, a fuel that is made from vegetable oil, will run on any unmodified diesel engine. The reason for making biodiesels are plenty; gain a sense of greater ownership and control over how your vehicle runs, your car tends to run better due to the higher cetane rating of biodiesel and it's ability to lubricate better than traditional petroleum-based fuels, and it is cheaper than current pump prices.
So, how does one get started? Start scavenging (the numbers in brackets are for those that are metrically challenged):-1 litre (1.1 quarts) oil. Choose from soybean, canola, corn, or any other veggie oil that has not been used. That is, no McFry oil. The process for that is different and may require some modifications to be made to your car.-Blender with a glass pitcher. The one that you used to make a pitcher of margaritas last weekend will suffice. However, you may want to dedicate a blender solely to this project for food safety's sake.-A scale that will measure 3.5 grams (0.12 oz).-3.5 grams (0.12 oz) lye (sodium hydroxide).-200 milliliters (6.8 fl. oz) of methanol-Glass containers that can measure 200 milliliters (6.8 fl. oz), 1 liter (1.1 Quart), and something that can hold at least 1.5 litres (1.6 quarts).-Spoon. A regular teaspoon should be just fine.
Now, put on your sporting-cool safety eye glasses and protective gloves.Measure 200 milliliters (6.8 fl. oz) of methanol and pour into blender. Add 3.5 grams of lye. Turn the blender on "slow" speed and slowly add the lye to the methanol. After the lye has completely dissolved into the methanol, add 1 litre of vegetable oil to the blender and blend on a low speed for 20 to 30 minutes where a little tornado forms in the pitcher, but the solution does not froth. Poor this into the larger 1.5 litre glass container. After about 30 minutes to 1 hour, a darker layer of glycerin will begin to settle on the bottom of the container. The lighter layer on top is biodiesel. Wait another few hours for complete settling. Congratulations, you have just made your first batch of biodiesel. As with all fuels, this should be appropriately labeled. As toddlers and pets can't read, please use your common sense and store it out of their reach and sight.When using this biodiesel in you unmodified diesel engine, note that biodiesel has a solvent effect on natural rubber hoses and seals. While newer diesel engines have polymer hoses and seals, older engines may need to be outfitted with new hoses and/or seals. If this a little overwhelming, just use a fuel mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel which will have no effect on older natural rubber hoses.
If you live in a colder climate your biodiesel may cloud a little bit. And if you live in Winnipeg, Canada and have -40C winter days, it may even solidify. Below 13C (55F), it is suggested to blend a little petroleum diesel fuel with the biodiesel until. At -24C (-10F), blend at least 50%. In an even colder climate, you may want to consider outfitting your car with a second tank so that starting and stopping your engine is done on pure petroleum diesel fuel, and when your car reaches that happy 13C (55F) point, switch it over to the biodiesel tank. As long as your car is given a good 10-15 minutes on the petroleum diesel fuel, there should not be any clogs in the fuel system. The cold weather that solidifies biodiesel makes storage easier, as to fuel your car in the winter, simply carve bricks of biodiesel out of a glass baking tray.
