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DIY Biofuel

Biofuel is a term that is used to describe fuels derived from plants, grown specifically for that reason. However, the name is deceptive as crude oil is also derived from plant and animal matter. Biofuel can be used to run generators and engines that would normally take diesel fuel without any modification required to the machinery. Almost any vegetable oil can be used to create biofuel. In fact, it is possible to use pure vegetable oil as a biofuel without any need to use transesterification; this is the process of separating the glycerin from the vegetable oil and leaves behind biodiesel and glycerin. Without using transesterification, however, the biofuel produced does not comply the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and is less effective than its processed counterpart biodiesel.

Things You'll Need

Vegetable oil-Pure not used
200 mls of Methanol 99% Pure
Caustic Soda
Scales
Blender
Thermometer
Measuring beakers
Large two liter container with screw cap
Glass Containers with screw cap
2 liter bottle for settling (Soda bottle)
Safety Goggles
Safety Gloves
Plastic bags for measuring
Two funnels
Cooker and pan

Instructions

Making Biofuel
- 1
  Gather your supplies to make biofuel. You will need 20 gallons of vegetable oil if using pure vegetable oil, or half that amount if mixing the vegetable oil with diesel to fill a regular car fuel tank.
- 2
  Run your engine until the fuel tank is half full of diesel.
- 3
  Pour the vegetable oil into the fuel tank of your engine to top it up.
- 4
  Mix vegetable oil with some diesel or organic solvent additive to help improve the performance of pure vegetable oil biofuel. You can mix these in a container and then pour into the fuel tank or simply pour both into the fuel tank and all them to mix there.
Making Biodiesel
- 5
  Gather your supplies listed above. You will need 1 liter of vegetable oil, pure and not used, for making biodiesel. The Methanol 99% pure can be purchased from hardware stores, chemical suppliers and supermarkets sold as "Stove Fuel." Caustic soda is also available in hardware stores or from soap-making suppliers.It is best to use an old blender for mixing purposes as the blender should never again be used for food production after being exposed to these chemicals.
- 6
  Measure out 3.8 grams of the caustic soda. Place the caustic soda into a plastic bag and seal it as quickly as possible. Caustic soda reacts with the air, so speed is essential.
- 7
  Measure out 200ml of Methanol and pour carefully into the 2 liter bottle with a screw cap. Carefully add the caustic soda to the Methanol. Use the funnels if the opening is too small to pour carefully. Be sure to use different funnels or the chemicals will react before being in the bottle.
- 8
  Close the cap and, wearing protective gloves, shake and swirl the bottle until the liquid is clear. The chemical reaction will produce heat so be careful. It can take up to 24 hours for the caustic soda to dissolve completely within the Methanol. Shaking and swirling will speed this process up considerably.
- 9
  Heat the vegetable oil to a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit or 55 degrees Celsius. Pour this into the blender, and then add the Methoxide( the mixed caustic soda and methonal) into the blender. Seal the blender and switch it on low speed for 20-30 minutes. Once finished, pour the mixture into a 2 liter bottle with a screw cap and secure. As the mixture reacts let some air into the bottle carefully to prevent warping. Leave the mixture to settle for 24 hours.
- 10
  Decant the biodiesel from the jar. The top clearer fluid is the biodiesel and the darker fluid is the glycerin by-product. Decanting the biodiesel can be carried out by pouring carefully, or by using syringes to lift up only the biodiesel. The fluid, once drained, is biodiesel.

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