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Disclaimer
What is Biodiesel
Why to make Bio-Diesel
How it all works
Making a small amount
Scaling up
Process of making it
Refining and improving the process
Pros & Cons of Bio-Diesel
Legal issues with Bio-diesel
Other Uses for Bio-Diesel
By-Products of Bio-Diesel
Future for Bio-Diesel
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No Expert
Production of Bio-Diesel involves harmful
chemical and possibly harmful situations
If you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.
Investigate more before attempting
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A bio-fuel made by converting vegetable oil or
animal fats using a process called
Transesterification
It is an alternative to petro-diesel that we use
everyday
It is suitable for nearly all makes of diesel
engine
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Price
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Interest
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Because you are interested in knowing a bit more about the diesel
engine, interest in chemistry, maybe you just like building stuff or
messing about
Environment
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Costs approximately 30cent per litre to make instead of 120cent (if
you receive waste/straight oil free) and depending on where fuel
tax
Because it is environmentally friendlier, no sulphates, considerably
lower carbon dioxide and monoxide, non toxic (table salt, degrades
quicker than sugar), does have slightly higher nitrogen oxide
levels, far less particulates because of a higher cetane level
Your annoyed with the war in Iraq, oil companies and big
business
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You may just be conscious about the wars and wish to have a local
supply of fuel
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Diesel & petrol are both hydrocarbons
How does diesel engine work as opposed to
petrol
Diesel will burn any hydrocarbon, as long as it
can get in to piston chamber. First diesel engine
fuels
Difference between an SVO conversion and
using Bio-Diesel
Process of Transesterification
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What you need to start making it on a small scale
(experiment size)
2 litre plastic bottle
Pot
1 litre of clean veg oil
6-7 grams of NaOH 'Sodium Hydroxide' (caustic soda)
- Can use KOH 'Potassium Hydroxide' (Potash) 9 gm
200ml of methanol
Thermometer
Gloves
Weighing scales
Smaller mixing container (Glass)
Funnel
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Large container with a heating element (set to
not go higher than 50 degrees)
Large supply of oil (clean/used)
Larger supply of NaOH & Methanol
Gloves
Big weighing scales (capable of .01 of gram)
Breathing apparatus (optional)
Large mixing container
titration kit (only needed with used oil)
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Retrieving oil - (dirty & clean)
Heating oil - (using pot or heating element)
Calculate Methanol & NaOH needed
Calculating FFA Content - (titration test - used oil),
work out needed amount of extra NaOH that will
have to be added to neutralise FFA
Mix and make Methoxide
Add Methoxide to Oil
Mix everything together
Wait and then separate - after separation you have
Bio-Diesel
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Pre-Transesterification
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Oil Preparation - Cleaning and filtering the oil
(lowers FFA & makes easier to flow and separate,
de-watering the oil (soap build-up)
During Transesterification
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5% pre-wash - Why?
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Post-Transesterification - Cleaning Bio-Diesel
Why We Should
 Different Methods (Wet Washing, Dry Washing &
Waiting) - Mist Wash, Bubble Wash, Forced water
washing, Magnasol or other chemical/alternative
washes (Hardwood Shavings/Gypsum) - How each
works, Pros and cons of each
 When to stop washing - Caveats I found)
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Post-Transesterification - Drying Bio-Diesel
Only needed in wet washing
Open Air
 Heating
 Spraying or combinations
 When to stop
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Methanol recovery
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Heating and condensing
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Cons
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Bacteria
Susceptible to water penetration
Higher gelling point (depends on oil source, can use
winterising agents, add diesel)
Could violate warranty
Lower miles per gallon/Kilometers per litre
Environmentally - Higher nitrogen oxide level
Solvent - Older cars with rubber hoses, paint work,
will probably need a new fuel filter after 2-3rd fill up
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Pros
Not hard to make
 Cheaper (prices depends on oil type & tax)
 Lubrication of engine
 Environmentally - Low CO2, Sulphates, particulates
& quickly bio-degrades
 Non Toxic
 Higher cetane level
 Solvent - Cleans the carbon, dirt & sludge out of
pistons, injectors and tank
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Tax - In Ireland you are supposed to record
your usage amount and pay 13.5% fuel tax (not
sure how they calculate it)
Collecting Waste Oil
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Home Heating
Tool De-greaser
Oil for lamps
Give lubricity to petro-diesel
Paint remover
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Uses and Disposal Glycerine
making high quality soap
 fire logs or burnt in special burners
 refined and sold
 animal feed
 composting
 bio-gas production
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Contaminated Water
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Algae
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Produces 10 times more oil than other crop, can be
grown on waste ground rather than usable ground,
doesn't compete with the food supply, needs no
titration, can use/offset CO2 (feeds on it and scrubs
it), produces only oxygen and then biomass that can
be dried and burnt or feed to animals