How to Make a Biodiesel

The Process

• 1). Put on safety gloves, apron, goggles and dust mask over appropriate clothing such as a long-sleeve shirt and pants. Avoid wearing sandals or other skin-exposing footwear in case of spillage. Safety equipment must be worn throughout the entire biodiesel-making process to avoid injury.
  
  
• 2). Pour 250 ml or about one cup of methanol into a plastic measuring cup or jug. Methanol is available at auto supply stores. Carefully store any leftover methanol in a cool, dry area away from the biodiesel-making process to avoid injury.
  
  
• 3). Tip measured methanol carefully into a clean, dry glass jar such as a large pasta sauce jar. The jar must have a tight lid to avoid dangerous leaks. Test the jar for leaks by filling with water first, screwing on the lid and turning upside down. Remove water and dry before pouring in methanol.
  
  
• 4). Measure approximately ½ a teaspoon of lye. Also called caustic soda, lye is available in household supply stores and pharmacies. Lye can burn skin when handled incorrectly.
  
  
• 5). Place measured lye into the methanol mixture by tipping the teaspoon before sealing the jar shut.
  
  
• 6). Shake the tightly sealed jar up and down for approximately 15 seconds to thoroughly mix the methanol and lye. This mixture is called methoxide and will act as the catalyst in the biodiesel production process. It is very toxic and corrosive and must be handled with the utmost care. Avoid inhalation of fumes and treat splashes immediately with vinegar.
  
  
• 7). Heat one quart of clean unused vegetable oil in a cooking pan on a stove top until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit according to a thermometer. If the oil gets too hot, it can melt the plastic pop bottle and stop the necessary chemical reaction from occurring.
  
  
• 8). Place a plastic funnel into the neck of a washed and dried 2-liter pop bottle. The funnel can be plastic and found at auto supply stores and large home supply retailers. Make sure the bottle is rigid and place on a supportive surface to avoid accidental tipping.
  
  
• 9). Allow the heated oil to drip slowly though the funnel and settle into the 2-liter plastic bottle.
  
  
• 10
  
  Carefully pour the methoxide mixture through the funnel onto the top of the oil in the plastic bottle. Use a slow and steady hand to avoid dangerous spillage when removing the funnel from the neck of the bottle.
  
  
• 11
  
  Replace the bottle's original lid and secure in place before shaking the mixture vigorously for at least 15 seconds.
  
  
• 12
  
  Let the bottle stand in place for at least one hour for the mixture to break down into the separate elements. The bottom layer will contain glycerin, the middle layer will contain soap and the top layer is commonly referred to as biofuel or biodiesel.
  
  
• 13
  
  Slowly siphon out the biofuel from the glycerin and soap, pouring it into a storage container with a lid. The glycerin can be discarded or utilized for other projects such as soap making.