DIY Biodiesel
You can make your own biodiesel with these three ingredients; methanol, sodium
hydroxide (lye/ caustic soda like for cleaning drains, found next to Drano), and
vegetable oil. Everything you can get at the grocery store. Except for maybe the
methanol, but you can get it at the auto parts store. Gas line antifreeze is
usually pure methanol.
One version of the recipe calls for unused vegetable oil only, another said you
can use either. So go with the fresh unused vegetable oil.
Work outdoors for plenty of ventilation and wear rubber gloves and eye protection.
In a glass container with an air tight lid, add one cup of methanol and then half
a teaspoon of lye, put the lid on and swirl or stir until the lye is completely
dissolved. Do NOT mix the methanol and lye in a plastic bottle as the lye attacks
some types of plastic, (but after it’s mixed it’s ok to pour into plastic as the next
step calls for). Next heat four cups of vegetable oil to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
Use a funnel to pour the heated oil into a DRY 2 liter plastic bottle then add the
methanol/lye mixture, tightly close the lid and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
After about 10 minutes a dark layer of glycerin starts to form beneath the lighter
layer of cloudy biodiesel. Over the next couple of days the biodiesel becomes clearer
as all the glycerin settles. And waa-la! You’ve made your own fuel!
Now for the CAUTIONS:
BE CAREFUL!! Wear your protection, watch the children and the pets, don’t breathe it,
eat it, drink it, blah, blah, blah, and safety blah blah or skull and cross-bones blah.
Tags: antifreeze, auto parts store, biodiesel, blah, caustic soda, containers, diy, drains, drano, eye protection, fuel, funnel, gas, gas line, glass, glass container, glycerin, grocery store, methanol, pets, plastic, rubber gloves, skull and cross bones, sodium hydroxide, tight lid, vegetable oil, waa
























July 16th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Now this is weird LOL! But for diesel users, lucky!
July 16th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I think I might look into a diesel vehivle for the next one I buy. Then I can get used veggie oil from food places near me, and make my own, nearly free, fuel!
Nice!
Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley
A. Caleb Hartleys last blog post..Making Garbage Useful
July 16th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Hi Diane … Everybody needs to know!
Hi A. … Yes, you can and you may want to do it soon as it looks like the oil mafia is gonna send the gas prices higher!
July 17th, 2008 at 2:18 am
Methanol is a highly dangerous chemical. Don’t inhale it or get it on your skin. Best of all, avoid it and use ethanol.
Lye reacts with metal so use plastic or glass containers.
The instructions are not as simple as adding chemicals together. Precise amounts have to added together otherwise you just end up with soap and nothing else.
A good web search will find the more detailed instructions.
James.
http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com
Jamess last blog post..Eco-towns but no eco-residents
July 17th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Hi James … you did not read the post as the details are there. I concur researching this thoroughly before mixing large quantities of a volatile fuel. Thanks for adding your additional information.