Simple Process to Make Biodiesel Fuel - Foolproof Method from Aleks Kac- 1

Here I will give you some series of foolproof method to make biodiesel fuel which originally written by Aleks Kac. This guy from Slovenija will share you a basic to advance method to make biodiesel fuel at home. You could make your own biodiesel fuel in your living room!.

In this first series of the making biodiesel at home method will share you with the introduction.

This is a FOOLPROOF way to make biodiesel. No titration is required, and no extra equipment or special equipment -- a thermometer's handy, but NO pH meter!

This is a two-stage procedure, acid first-stage, base second-stage. It is based on the highest free fatty acid (FFA) content found in used cooking oil, but it can be used with any waste vegetable/animal oil or fat, whether or not it has a high FFA content. The process increases yields dramatically. Use it as your standard method.
Introduction

To make biodiesel fuel efficiently from used vegetable oils and animal fats we have to avoid one major problem: soap formation. Soap is formed during base-catalyzed transesterification (using lye) when sodium ions combine with free fatty acids present in used (and some virgin) vegetable oils and animal fats. The soaps diminish the yield because they bond the methyl esters to water. The bonded esters get washed out at the washing stage but make water separation more difficult and increase water consumption. This process takes care of the free fatty acids.

In one early test I used a mixture of 50% heavily used cooking oil and 50% pork lard. The result was a pure product with absolutely no trace of soap! The biodiesel looked nice, and smelt nice, as if made from virgin oil.

Aleks (background) and friend Matevz making biodiesel in Matevz's living room.
This is a simple procedure. The first-stage process is not transesterification, but pure and simple ESTERIFICATION. Esterification is followed by transesterification, but under acid conditions it's much slower than under caustic conditions and it won't do a complete oil-to-methyl ester conversion as the reaction is much more equilibrium-sensitive. Without methanol recovery, the alcohol overdose required would make the price of your fuel jump, and even with recovery it would still be much more expensive. Hence the second base-stage.

For the first stage you'll form a compound out of an acid and an alcohol. The alcohol is still methanol, but instead of using lye (sodium hydroxide), the CATALYST in this reaction is sulphuric acid ("battery acid"). It needs 95% sulphuric acid (battery acid is around 50%). Sulphuric acid is one of the commonest chemicals on Earth, just like lye. More concentrated sulphuric acid -- 98% and above -- costs more, but 95% works just fine if you follow these directions. Other acids won't work: it must be sulphuric acid. The second stage uses lye, as usual -- but it only uses about half as much as other methods.

The sulfate ion in the sulphuric acid combines with the sodium ion in the lye during the second-stage reaction to form sodium sulphate, which is a water-soluble salt and is removed in the wash. No sulphur remains in the biodiesel fuel product.

Will continue to the next step on making biodiesel at home using foolproof method of Aleks Kac.

Reference:http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html
Note:I have got a permission from the owner of this article to copy and published here for educational purpose.

Biodiesel Companies Which Produce Biodiesel Fuel from Algae

When it comes down to biodiesel production one of the less complicated techniques implies the use of algae. Not only is it simpler, it's also extraordinarily efficient. there were studies conducted that have shown that algae produces up to thirty times more oil than using the other different crops that are at present utilised for production for each acre. The other blessings of using algae include the necessity for little land to grow your crop.

Also it appears the sulfur content is non existent, they're no poisons and the fuel generated will be highly bio-degradable. There are basically some special species of algae that are grown specially for production. These contain higher degrees of oil than standard, frequently up to fifty percent and they also grow incredibly fast. There are currently many companies that use algae resource in the production of biodiesel.

Aquaflow Binomic Company ( ABC ) is based in New Zealand. They crop their algae straight from the settling pools of standard effluent management systems and other nutrient heavy water. Their process can really be adopted for plenty of other industries. There's also nautical Energy, LLC which was started in 2006 to chase their vision of manufacturing replenishable energy bio fuels in Louisiana, which is found in the Gulf Coast of the U. S. Halo Biofuels has successfully been operating a comparatively little plant since Aug 2007 and this plant has constantly produced top quality biodiesel. They are expecting to have their first commercial scale facility in operation by late 2012. Ultimately I wish to mention Blue Marble Energy, which is based in Seattle in north eastern US. Their main focus is on using wild algae and plant material to make biodiesel. However they have developed a fascinating biodiesel production process that pushes out manure and other chemicals as a byproduct.

Producing Biodiesel from Food Waste Like Pies and Chips

Greenergy a privately held company that supplies around twenty p.c of Britain's road fuel has begun producing biodiesel from food waste. And according to the corporation's CEO, pies and chips are the most highly effective foods for the method. Greenergy invested £50 million ( $77 million ) in its Immingham biodiesel production facility in Britain to permit it to produce the fuel thru the more difficult technique of processing cooking oils. The more typical method of processing rapeseed oil now accounts for about eighty % of biodiesel production in Europe. The new system takes fat rich solid foods that aren't fit for sale because they're past their sale date, misshapen or overcooked. The foodstuffs including pies, pasties and sausage rolls often contain twenty-five to thirty percent oil and fat, and otherwise would be sent to landfill or to be composted. The fats and oils are extracted and then purified by Greenergy.

They're then converted to biodiesel, mixed into diesel fuel and supplied nationally to gas stations.

Greenergy Boss man , Andrew Owens, asserted the possibilities of the new biodiesel production process was huge. GM Holden last year said its backing of Flex Fuel Australia, a new company that plans to convert one million tons of household and building waste into more than two hundred million litres of ethanol each year.

Making of Biodiesel Fuel

The 3 elements which make up biodiesel are cooking oil, methanol and lye. The cooking oil should be heated to fifty five deg.

So those of you that worked in a junk food joint in your youth may know what it feels love to be splashed with hot grease. You can't permit it to touch your skin as it will cause dreadful burns. The vapors can be deadly also, so take every precaution not to breathe them. Your armory of safety equipment ought to include an apron and gloves, both chemical explanation. Additionally, the gloves might be able to roll up over your sleeves. You will be wanting to also contemplate how you are dressed - shorts and sandals should be evaded. Among all of the panic relating to the lessening supplies of fossil fuel as well as its cost.

This history started with Rudolph Diesel when he came up with a compression engine. Way back then he knew that using replaceable oil resources were a more sensible choice than using traditional fuels. Both methanol and ethanol may be able to be produced from these trans-acids. He thought this was the oil of the future and wished to turn out all his vehicles to run on this fuel. Hemp had been grown for a long period of time in the States for its many helpful purposes.

When tested hemp oil was revealed to be stable and also able to produce bigger yield of fuel.

Henry Ford returned to the drawing board on producing fuel for his automobiles from hemp oil. You are going to need to also mull over how you are dressed - shorts and sandals must be avoided. Eventually , it can't be repeated enough how significant eye protection is.

You wont be in a position to drive your vehicle stuffed with your freshly homebrewed biodiesel if you injure your eyes.

Watch out for running power cords thru an area that is employed as a walk through. It is suggested to work in a well-ventilated area, and never near an open flame. Above all, youngsters and pets have no business in this kind of working are. This could stop splashing and also reduce the quantity of air that gets into the mix.

So do not let the method frighten you, just take care in handling these and all chemicals.

Make Your Own Biodiesel At Home

Make Your Own Biodiesel At Home. Definitely one can make biodiesel at home. It is not that much complicated but a bit dangerous. It is prudent that only person with good biodiesel manufacturing should make their own biodiesel at home.

The ingredients needed to make your own biodiesel at home are divided in three stages namely mixture, titration, washing. The mixture stage comprises of Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) – used cooking oil, lard, animal fat, fryer grease, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) – that’s lye or caustic soda, dry only and Methanol (CH3OH) – at least 99% pure. The titration stage comprises of Isopropyl/Rubbing Alcohol – again, at least 99% pure.

Phenolphthalein Solution – kept out of the sunlight and no more than 1 year old and Distilled Water. The washing stage comprises of Water and Vinegar. It is a very simple procedure. The simple procedure includes blending the inputs, allowing it to settle, breaking up the byproduct and biodiesel and finally purifying the biodiesel. Depending on the cleanliness level of the vegetable oil, this process might take few days to a few weeks. Pay attention to the safety features before you start to make your own biodiesel at home. Enjoy using the biodiesel fuel and contribute to the eco friendly environment.

Making Biodiesel from Corn - is That Possible?

Making biodiesel from corn is an easy and also it can be done in the house itself. Corn is actually one of the best vegetable oils commonly in producing biodiesel. The other eatable products that help in biodiesel making are Soya and flaxseed. Mix some vegetable oil with just a little bit of methanol. Place the mixture in an alkaline catalyst, like sodium hydroxide, which should just be 1% of the total mixture. Vegetable oil comprises of triglycerides compounds of glycerin. The triglycerides compound of glycerin has three fatty acids. This whole process separates the glycerin molecule from its three fatty acids, which would eventually be replaced with three methanol molecules. The final product is 10% glycerin byproduct and 90% biodiesel. The process is called ester interchange and thus biodiesel is made with the help of corn.

Making biodiesel from corn consumes more amounts of Soya and corn. This method of doing biodiesel is not appreciated by many, as eatables are used in it. By using eatables such as corn, Soya in making of biodiesel, we are forcing the food prices go up which will soon result in food riots. The government of United States has made the decision to make the corn based E85 biofuels.

Biodiesel Making Machine

Biodiesel is renewable. It is a derivation of vegetable oil. In the biodiesel the carbon is neutral. Biodiesel is a non toxic product. It can be used directly in unmodified diesel engine. The making to biodiesel is very simple. The biodiesel making machine is numerous in the market. If you are planning to get a machine to make biodiesel then it is advisable to surf through the net, collect information’s of various machine and then choose one. One can also ask their friends or relatives who are using a biodiesel making machine. Even reviews will help in getting the best biodiesel machine.

The biodiesel can also be prepared in home. So as per the quantity needed one can get the biodiesel making machine. Before getting a biodiesel making machine see its features and advantages. Always get a biodiesel making machine with multiple mesh filtering system. As filtration is the main process in biodiesel production. If the filtration system is not proper then it will definitely damage the engine system. However biodiesel making machine with best filtration system costs more. The amount of benefits it provides you is priceless. So get a biodiesel making machine with best filtration system.

Making Biodiesel from Algae at Home

Making biodiesel from algae at home is more efficient than making biodiesel from corn. Algae’s are also being used as a base matter. It is very interesting that the gross stuff found on the top of ponds and still water can actually be used effectively. But recently algae have been used in the alternate fuel industry of biodiesel. Converting biodiesel from algae will help to provide an environmentally friendly. The important benefit is that, the algae found in sewage have also been used for biodiesel conversion. There is definitely no shortage of sewage and using sewage in this way can also help the environment. Green fuels Technologies seems to be the best known company that is converting algae to biodiesel fuel.

It is only through research and testing that we will learn if biodiesel from algae is a viable option. Few species of algae contain very high oil content and these families of algae are perfectly capable for biodiesel production. Not only they have high oil content, they grow quite rapidly. Some algae have more than 50% oil. There are few methods on the web to prepare biodiesel from algae at home. But only after doing we can say how effective it is. And also only certain methods are effective.

Biodiesel Free Fatty Acids

Biodiesel is one of the products that come as a result of the reaction between oil and an alcohol. Vegetable oils and animal fats contain triglycerides or molecules with 3-carbon molecules that can be written chemically as CH2OCOR1-CHOCOR2-CH2OCOR3. Generally the oils like virgin vegetable oil, waste vegetable oil, algae oil, or animal fat reacts with 3 alcohol molecules to form a glycerin molecule, chemically CH2OH-CHOH-CH2OH and 3 molecules of biodiesel CH3OCOR1, CH3OCOR2, and CH3OCOR3. Where R1, R2, and R3 are one of several hydrocarbon chains, referred to fatty acyl groups. Vegetable oils with as little as 1 to 2 percent free fatty acid have been observed to cause difficulties with biodiesel production and separation.

So always it is necessary to use vegetable oils that have more amounts of fatty acids. The First method is esterifying the free fatty acids creates methyl esters, which is followed by the transesterification. The second method is to intensify the quantity of catalyst in single transesterification procedure. Therefore, the extra catalyst neutralizes the free fatty acids, which creates soap as a byproduct. Biodiesel are very useful in creating a green environment. They can be easily prepared in homes. The biodiesel fuels contribute a lot to the environment protection and control of pollution.

Making Biodiesel from Animal Fat

Recent studies state that in economic haste to power vehicles with biofuel, crops productions now are geared away from food consumption. This disturbance in the law of supply and demand has forced institutions to look deeper into other options for fuel, bent toward making biodiesel from animal fat.

Other options must be furthered considering soy oil, chicken fat and tallow present potentials as biodiesels as well. Close to half of the projected over one billion gallons of biodiesel in 2012 could be attributed to biodiesel. Developing stories like Tyson Foods’ push for a renewable energy division could very well contribute over 2.3 billion pounds of chicken each year! Loosely said, when that time comes, Tyson Foods could produce 300 million gallons of biodiesel!

Even oil giant Conoco Phillips is looking seriously into a scheme with Tyson Foods, targeting production of 174m gallons of low-sulphur biodiesel. Conoco Phillips aim to benefit from the fat byproducts the cows, pigs and chickens which Tyson Foods processes into its finished products. At present, these byproducts are bought by the cosmetics and pet food industries. The new venture of both will find Tyson shipping a large part of animal fat to the refineries of Conoco Phillips for the latter to process it into biodiesel.

Many studies have stated animal fats perform better in biodiesel, prompting many private companies to venture or invest in companies producing animal fats. Commonly used animal fats tallow and lard are used for biodiesel because they are largely composed of saturated fatty acids. Other advantageous to this form of fuel is that animal fats have as high as 74 cetane numbers, translating to better diesel engine performance. Animal fat also lessens exhaust and emissions, have greater engine efficiency.

The cost issue is settled on animal fat as it results to better engine performance and competence. Moreover, biodiesel from animal fat has very minute harmful emissions and noise pollution when put against other forms of biodiesel.

True, the energy crisis won’t be solved with all the fat from thousands of slaughterhouses around the world. With such unbelievable usage of diesel use, the successes of making biodiesel from animal fats are just a pinkie! But if more and more countries and government pursue this method of fueling industries and cars alike, a great revolution would begin. Clearly, when biodiesel becomes a way of life for many cultures, greenhouse gas emissions are decreased and use of fossil fuels will be a thing of history.

Biodiesel From Coffee Grounds

The price of gasoline can be very burdensome to the households around the globe. As a result, more scientists are conducting studies and devoting their time to experiment on possible sources of cheaper and efficient gasoline sources.

These scientists succeeded because aside from inventing the conversion kits for vegetable oils into biodiesel; today, coffee grounds can also be converted to produce biodiesel. Let me discuss the new breakthrough in the world of automotive – the biodiesel from coffee grounds.

In fact, scientists from the Nevada are proving that coffee grounds are not only waste but also can produce affordable, plentiful, and environmentalist source of fuel that can be used to run the engines of vehicles from cars to trucks.

On the other hand, another study was conducted in the laboratories of Narasimharao Kondamudi and Mano Misra. This experimentation leads to the prevalent utilization of biodiesel. It also proves the affordable and high class of an energy source.

The study also showed that these supposed to be “ravage” contains eleven to twenty percent of oil that can be used to produce biodiesel fuel. This said oil is measured by weight. This said measure is more than the palm, soy bean, as well as rapeseed can produce.

This can be connected to the Growers product production of sixteen billion grounds of coffee (measurement in pound) every year. This said production is allocated to the whole world every year. The waste grounds are used to make a variety of coffee mixture. This said measurement can be used to create gasoline to contribute to the needs of the world today. This was concluded through an experiment of conversion of coffee grounds into biodiesel.

Another interesting fact in the biodiesel from coffee grounds is that it smells like java. Due to this feature, coffee based fuel is said to be more stable that those conventional fuel available in the market today.
Furthermore, the materials left from the alteration of the coffee grounds, can also be converted to other useable compost as well as ethanol, this is all according to the experiment conducted.

Moreover, the terrific result and finding is that this method will allow the United States to profit more or less eight million dollars for a year. Compute the amount for each country that will be benefited with this innovation. Imagine how many countries are in the map. Imagine how many people will be saving money and how much money will be saved.

Biodiesel from coffee grounds is indeed an emergent market in the world today. Approximations by the scientists and related teams recommend and advocate that three billion biodiesel fuels will be made in 2010 (all these are measured in gallons).

These computations are not only from coffee grounds but also from the oil of peanut, vegetable, animal, cooking, and soybean.

In addition to this, fuel of biodiesel can be put in the standard fuel. It can not only be used as a substitute but also can be used as a fuel by itself.

Making Algae Biodiesel

Currently most research into efficient algal-oil production is being done in the private sector, but predictions from small scale production experiments bear out that using algae to produce biodiesel may be the only viable method by which to produce enough automotive fuel to replace current world diesel usage.

Algae are harvested using a device called photobioreactors. Microalgae contain lipids and fatty acids as membrane components, storage products, metabolites and sources of energy.

Biodiesel can be made from algae by using centrifuges. Feedstock preparation - In this case, algae must first be separated from its medium, then the oil extracted from the algae. Separation of transesterification products – Biodiesel and glycerine must be separated, and any leftover reactants removed. Water wash – Biodiesel can be washed of soap and glycerine using a centrifuge. Magnasol solids removal - As an alternative to water washing, it may be possible to wash the biodiesel in Magnasol.

Studies show that algae can produce up to 60% of their biomass in the form of oil. Because the cells grow in aqueous suspension where they have more efficient access to water, CO2 and dissolved nutrients, microalgae are capable of producing large amounts of biomass and usable oil in either high rate algal ponds or photobioreactors. This oil can then be turned into biodiesel which could be sold for use in automobiles. The more efficient this process becomes the larger the profit that is turned by the company. Regional production of microalgae and processing into biofuels will provide economic benefits to rural communities.

The algal-oil feedstock that is used to produce biodiesel can also be used for fuel directly as "Straight Vegetable Oil", (SVO). The benefit of using the oil in this manner is that it doesn't require the additional energy needed for transesterification, (processing the oil with an alcohol and a catalyst to produce biodiesel). The drawback is that it does require modifications to a normal diesel engine. Transesterified biodiesel can be run in an unmodified modern diesel engine, provided the engine is designed to use ultra-low sulfur diesel, which, as of 2006, is the new diesel fuel standard in the United States.

The algal fuel is very resourceful to people who use biodiesel on a large scale. Airlines, railways and bus depots should use algal fuel to refuel the automobiles. Algal fuel is extremely eco-friendly energy and would save a lot of our fossil fuels if used wisely. Keep the world green!!

Biodiesel Home Making - Forget Any Expensive Biodiesel Producer

Biodiesel is a free energy source that can be produced almost anywhere. Many farms in the United States of America make biodiesel by using leftovers from corn cutting. Biodiesel is favored because you can run a car on it without needing any special engine, a regular diesel can use biodiesel. The cost is very low for production, it costs only a fraction of what gasoline would cost. Biodiesel is made from methanol, oil and sodium hydroxide, the preparation of this mixture is very hazardous because of the inflammable quality of the mixture.

Many writers also touch upon this topic, books such as “From Fryer to Fuel Tank” by Joshua Tikell are best sellers of this field, they contain in depth information about this subject.

The main reason biodiesel is made at home is because of the availability of all the materials in the house and the easy preparation of the substance. Biodiesel making also needs a few external components such as pumps and a tank.

The process of home making biodiesel is easy but long.

The first step is to collect the materials you will need a mixing vessel (generally an old one), containers (1000ml, 100ml and 10ml), a scale, gloves and a thermometer. Next you heat the oil to 120F or 50 C. Measure the oil into half liter increments. Measure out the amount of methanol to be used (20% of oil). Pour lye into the container which already has methanol and hot oil. Use a blender or a mixing vessel and mix the mixture violently. Allow the biodiesel to settle for a few minutes. You will see a dark layer of glycerin at the bottom, drain the glycerin out and leave the biodiesel to rest for a few days. This biodiesel is not useable.

Bio diesel is a quick way to make fuel with minimal ingredients and in a few days. This biodiesel can be used to run cars, make soaps and many other uses.

In conclusion the making of biodiesel at home is the answer to our future fuel problems.

Making Biodiesel from Soybeans

From planned study and economic proofs of all countries one can conclude that the demand for crude oil will never go down but all the more increase. Everyone for a fact knows that the price of crude oil products is certainly going to go up in future. People all over the world have started looking for substitutes to meet their needs and biodiesel has come as a boon for everyone. Biodiesel is one such fuel that can be derived from many sources and making biodiesl from soybeans is on of them.

Biodiesel consists of mono alkyl esters produced from vegetable oils, animal or old cooking oil that is also a type of fat. Soy biodiesel is fuel alternative produced from soybean oil,s ince it is widely available. Biodiesel contains no petroleum diesel, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel and use freely without any hassles

Soy biodiesel can be used in diesel engines with little or no modifications at all. Soy biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the soybean oil. The process gives two products: methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (used to make soap). The byproducts can be separated and only biodiesel can be used.

As compared to other methods of producing biodiesel, producing biodiesel from soybean oil is more of an advantage.

· Environment friendly - Soy biodiesel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel and other forms of biodiesel. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and soot, which results in less amount of pollution. The use of biodiesel does not increase the CO2 level in the atmosphere, since growing soybeans consumes also CO2. Biodiesel is also more biodegradable than conventional diesel.

· Better lubricant - Lubrication tests have demonstrated the lubrication advantage of biodiesel.

The production of soy-based biodiesel has a positive energy balance, due to the high energy value of ester-based feedstock's, the low-energy requirements of the conversion process, and the nitrogen-fixing characteristic of soybean.

If we go into the details of the process of making biodiesel from soybeans we can break up the process into –

· Process of transesterification. It involves the mixing of methanol, sodium hydroxide, the latter acting as the catalyst and also an oil is mixed which in this process is soybean oil.

· A reaction takes place with the catalyst making the reaction fast.

· The reaction yields out methyl esters, which is the scientific name for biodiesel and glycerin.

· Now both of them are separated and both of them can be utilized.

· Glycerin a byproduct can be used in the manufacture of soap and other products.

Biodiesel is biodegradable and nontoxic when used in its pure form – B100. For the 20% and lower blends, the diesel fuel portion of the blend determines the toxicity and biodegradability, which in turn determines the capacity of it.

Production of biodiesel will lead to a better world for everyone and making biodiesel from soybeans is one of the numerous ways that can help.

Making Biodiesel from Animal Fat

The same time as the prices for petroleum fuels are rising the demand for biodiesel is rising too which is very much obvious. But the consequence is the more biodiesel is produced the more expansive the renewable feedstock is going to be. And if we look for alternative feedstock to produce biodiesel, animal fat as a waste product seems to be our cheapest and available at huge scale.

To process animal fat into biodiesel usually we can use the following method, which is most common. For this an alkaline catalyst Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide is used. It is dissolved in methanol and, then, mixed with the feedstock. Making biodiesel from animal fat requires a lot of considerations.

Animal fat melts between 40 and 50 degree Celsius, but to avoid that the methanol evaporates – methanol starts to boil at 60 degree Celsius – and then, consequently, not enough methanol will be available for the transesterification the process temperature should always be kept under 60. Secondly, when processing animal fat into biodiesel this feedstock reacts very sensitive if we use just too much catalyst. The consequence is that easily so much soap is formed that the whole mixture turns into some kind of thick glob, which would ruin everything. And the more of the so-called Free Fatty Acids (FFA) we find in the animal feedstock the more soap is formed which results in production loss.

With the two-step-process the amount of FFA is first reduced in a pre-step using sulphuric acid as catalyst and methanol. Then, when the amount of FFA reached a level of less than 1% the normal alkaline-based process can take place using methanol and lye as catalyst, which would speed up the reaction. . Hence, it is always advisable to process a feedstock which has less than 1% FFA using the one-step-process. It is faster, cheaper and more biodiesel will be produced and in today’s world time is money.
But because animal fat turns very easily into a thick glob of soap if we use just too much lye the right amount of catalyst will be crucial for the production.

The biodiesel produced from animal fat has some other properties than the one produced from vegetable oil. First, after settling the glycerol from animal fat turns solid when it cools down. The same thing happens to the glycerol produced from palm oil. This circumstance needs some special considerations when settling because cold and solid glycerol can’t be drained from the bottom of the settle tank.

Second, in contrast to biodiesel produced from vegetable oil the freezing point of biodiesel from animal fat is much higher. This means that the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) can be – depending on the fat the biodiesel is produced from – between 15 and 20 degree Celsius. In order to run cars on biodiesel produced from animal fat also in other seasons than summer it is necessary to blend the biodiesel from animal fat with biodiesel produced from, e.g., rapeseeds. A percentage of 10 to 15% biodiesel from animal fat seems to be appropriate. Biodiesel produced from animal fat is, therefore, the perfect fuel to admix and use.

Making Biodiesel from Algae

In this ever-expanding world, everything is being consumed at a very fast rate. Natural Resources are being depleted at a very fast rate and mankind is thinking of many ways to produce artificial energy. And one answer that has come up is Biodiesel. What is actually biodiesel? In a layman’s language Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl (methyl, propyl or ethyl) esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat (tallow), which can be used (alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel) in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles.

Though there are many methods available and being researched upon but one of the common methods of producing it is by Algae. Making biodeisel with algae is quite a tedious process/ One must know what are actually Algae. Algae are some of the most robust organisms on earth, able to grow in a wide range of conditions without any problems. Algae are usually found in damp places or bodies of water and thus are common in terrestrial as well as aquatic environments.  Terrestrial algae are usually rather inconspicuous and far more common in moist, tropical regions than dry ones, because algae lack vascular tissues and other adaption’s to live on land. So cultivation of algae is an important part in this process.

Algae cultivation though a very easy process but cultivation of specific strains of algae for Biodiesel would however a bit more difficult, as they can require high maintenance and could get easily contaminated by undesirable species. And contamination would lead to improper production of biodiesel.

First algal oil has to be extracted from algae and then biodiesel has to produced from that Algal oil. There's no doubt, algae biodiesel is probably the most theoretical and experimental aspect of biodiesel. It is also very costly. There are mainly three methods of oil extraction from Algae –

•    Expeller/Press - When algae is dried it retains its oil content, which then can be "pressed" out with an oil press. Many commercial manufacturers of vegetable oil use a combination of mechanical pressing and Chemical Solvents in extracting oil.
•    Hexane solvent oil extraction - Algal oil can be extracted using chemicals. .Benzene and ether have been used, but a popular chemical for solvent extraction is hexane. The downside to using solvents for oil extraction are the inherent dangers involved in working with the chemicals. Benzene is classified as a carcinogen. Carcinogen is a chemical which harms humans.
•    Supercritical Fluid Extraction - This can extract almost 100% of the oils all by itself. This method however needs special equipment for containment and pressure. In this method , CO2 is liquefied under pressure and heated to the point that it has the properties of both a liquid and gas. This liquefied fluid then acts as the solvent in extracting the oil.

Now transesterification of  algal oil is  done.It is normally done with ethanol and sodium ethanolate serving as the catalyst.
Ethanol is reacted with the algal oil to produce biodiesel & glycerol. The end products of this reaction are hence biodiesel, sodium ethanolate and glycerol.

The end mixture is then separated using Ether and salt water, which is added to the mixture and mixed well. After sometime, the entire mixture would have separated into two layers, with the bottom layer containing a mixture of ether and biodiesel. Biodiesel is in turn separated from ether by a vaporizer under a high vacuum. As the ether vaporizes first, the biodiesel will remain.
Thus the process of making biodiesel from algae is now over and is ready for use.

Making Biodiesel from Cooking Oil

Once upon a time in the long ago a man named Rudolph Diesel thought he could change the world with a revolutionary engine that ran on peanut oil. Pity he tried to sell it to both the French and English naval fleets for their submarines got mixed up in political intrigue.

Despite all this his name is carried on with the diesel engine. The only difference is that the fuel companies capitalized on his name. BIODIESEL is a clean burning alternate fuel. It is the name for a multiplicity of ester-based fuels (fatty esters) commonly defined as the monoalkyl esters made from vegetable oils. Such as soybean oil, canola or hemp oil, or sometimes from animal fats through a simple process termed as transesterified. This renewable source is as capable as petroleum diesel in powering diesel engine without requirement of any modification. Thus biodiesel an alternate for diesel is now present and making biodiesel from cooking oil is the simplest process available that can be easily done at home also.

One can go through very simple steps to make biodiesel from cooking oil. One would need the following –

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  Cooking Oil (WVO)

  
  


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  Lye (sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) to act as the catalyst.

  
  


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  Alcohol (Methanol or Ethanol) 15% by volume of the cooking oil.

  
  


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  Heat (any type of burner)

  
  


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  Reaction vessels (perhaps oil drums)

  
  


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  Thermometer

  
  


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  Blender

  
  


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  Isopropyl Alcohol (use 99% IPA)

  
  


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  Eyedropper

  
  


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  pH paper (litmus paper) to check for alkaline percentage

  
  

The make up of the free fatty acids present in cooking oil changes when it been heated which is why one should use cold pressurized oil. Oil, which has been used in cooking, will require more of the reactive agents than fresh oil. It is necessary to determine the exact amount of lye needed to neutralize the acids otherwise more amounts of glycerin and less biodiesel as a result which would be an ultimate loss for you. Making biodiesel from cooking oil though looks like a compicated process, but is not.

A step by step guide to make biodiesel from cooking oil is as follows -

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  Measure a quantity of oil into a suitable container and heat to 120 which would be the optimal temperature.

  
  


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  In separate container mix Methanol with lye. The lye must be added slowly as it will become extremely hot. The resulting mixture is Sodium Methoxide.

  
  


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  Add the mixture to the heated oil mix vigorously for about an hour. You may want to set up some kind of mechanical aid to do this, perhaps using cycle power or any motor, which would help, and you will not have to strain yourself.

  
  


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  Stop mixing when it appears that the separation has stopped. Leave the mixture to cool and settle over night. Patience is a must in this process.

  
  


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  The free fatty acids (glycerin), will sink to the bottom forming a cloudy layer. On top will be your biodiesel (methyl esters)

  
  


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  Separate the methyl ester or biodiesel into a separate clean container and add water.

  
  


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  Now finally separate the methyl ester into a separate clean container and add water. When the water has separated from the methyl esters, drain the water out from the bottom of the container.

  
  

Finally after some time of back breaking labour, biodiesel from cooking oil is now ready for use.

The Basic on Making Biodiesel

Before one wants to know how to make biodiesel one must know what it is actually. In layman’s words; Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of short chain alkyl (methyl or ethyl) esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat, which can be used in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles.

One can divide the production of biodiesel into three simple and basic steps -

Ilseed Crushing (Basic Process)

An oil mill is designed to efficiently, mechanically extract by full pressing the oil from canola. The efficiency and performance of oil extraction with screw presses is highly dependent on the condition of the raw material.

Crude Oil Degumming/Neutralizing (Basic Process)

Crude oil obtained from the canola seed pressing operation contains a number of impurities that have to be removed before the transesterification (biodiesel) process. The impurities are moisture, gums, free fatty-acids and soaps.

Making Biodiesel from Waste Vegetable Oil

Day by day fuel is getting expensive and inflation is hitting new highs across every country across the world. Everyone has started looking for cheap substitutes for every thing in the world. So why should diesel fuel stay behind. Making Biodiesel from waste vegetable oil is an upcoming way of preserving energy and meeting your own requirements without depending on anyone.

Vegetable Oil is commonly available everywhere and there at every home and most households dump the waste oil rather than utilizing that. Making biodiesel from waste vegetable oil is one of the most productive ways to utilize waste vegetable oil.
Biodiesel is a diesel fuel that is made by reacting vegetable oil (cooking oil) with other common chemicals that are easily available in the market. Biodiesel may be used in any diesel automotive engine in its pure form or blended with petroleum-based diesel, so need not worry about anything. No modifications are required, and the result is a less-expensive, renewable, clean-burning fuel.

Making biodiesel with vegetable oil has two different cases one is that with fresh oil and other is with waste oil. Making biodiesel from waste vegetable oil is totally a different case from that of fresh oil.

Waste vegetable oil will have been reheated several times during the course of its usage and therefore needs to be treated differently. The reheating will cause some of the fatty acids bonded to the glycerol to break away and float freely in the vegetable oil hence make them free and then known as Free Fatty Acid (FFA). There are two ways of dealing with free fatty acids and solve the problem –
•    Esterify the Free Fatty Acids creating methyl esters then proceeding with the transesterification.
•    Increase the amount of catalyst in the single transesterifaction process so that the additional catalyst neutralises the FFAs creating soap as an additional by-product.
In the process waste vegetable oil is made to react with methanol and a catalyst. The catalyst would either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide. The additional catalyst would react in turn with the free fatty acids and as a result give out soap. Now one has to separate the soap from the biodiesel. After that is done we have to wash the biodiesel fuel and filtrate it to 5 microns through a machine process, which is not feasible by hand. Then the fuel has to be dried again and the biodiesel has to be extracted from it.
If we try to classify the steps we can do it in the following way –
•    Filtration of inbound waste oil
•    Drying the fuel (i.e. removing water content, especially in the case of used oils)
•    Transesterification (specifically, the separation of the methyl esters from the glycerol)
•    Settling period
•    Separation of the biodiesel fuel from the soap
•    Washing the biodiesel fuel
•    Filtration to 5 microns
•    Drying the fuel again
•    Final products of biodiesel fuel and the by-products.
Though over here it may seem as very process, it is not easy, as it seems. But nonetheless one can always try.

How to Make Biodiesel? Another Simple Tips

Biodiesel has a number of benefits, but one of the most exciting things about Biodiesel is that anyone can make it at home. Let us imagine: Being able to make your own fuel for your vehicle or even to create energy for your home? That spells a lot of savings for you.

It can be quite easy when it comes to making Biodiesel. Making your own Biodiesel is a great idea if you can do it because you get to save more money when you use Biodiesel that is made from your home.

Supplies to Making Biodiesel

To make a small batch of Biodiesel at home, you only need to comply with few input requirements The production of Biodiesel requires the actual ingredients alcohol, lye and vegetable oil. Mixing the fuel requires some input supplies: empty plastic bottles, duct tape, a blender and measuring cups. Be sure anything you use to make your Biodiesel is only used for that purpose and throw such inputs away for cooking ingredients.

Once your supplies are in place, you are ready to begin learning how to make Biodiesel.

Safe Procedure on Making Biodiesel

The production of Biodiesel is nothing risky. Fire or explosion is remote to happen. Infact your only major concern in terms of your safety, is burning yourself. Just be careful and realize the mixture does get hot.

You will go through the easy process of making Biodiesel which entails mixing the ingredients, letting it set, breaking up the byproduct and Biodiesel and then sanitizing the Biodiesel. The whole process can take a few days to a few weeks. That depends on how clean your vegetable oil was to start with.

Low Volume or High Volume

The production of a Biodiesel can be in a small scale or a large scale basis. Biodiesel kits are great if a few gallons of diesel production is what your expect to achieve at a time. If you depend on your lawnmower or similar equipments then A Biodiesel kit would be perfect. It is practical to use and will need a small level of inputs.

If your mindset is to produce more Biodiesel for the instance for running your automobile, you have to operate a Biodiesel processor. This makes the process much more efficient, thus you can generate a higher volume of production. The presence of a processor requires more inputs but you can find ease in making Biodiesel since the processor does most of the work for you.