Making biodiesel at home is a simple step by step process which anyone can follow. Biodiesel is a great renewable source which can be made from a by-product every household produces: cooking oil. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine without any modification required. In fact, biodiesel is a better lubricant for the engine and can provide better performance than any petrol-based diesel fuel.

Biodiesel seems to be the answer to increasing gas and diesel costs. It is produced through a chemical reaction which substitutes the glycerol in the oil with an alcohol, which is achieved by using a catalyst, commonly, lye. While the process may sound complicated, biodiesel production at home is actually quite simple and has been around for several years now. All of the ingredients which go into processing biofuel at home are easily obtainable and with a few tools and techniques, you’ll be able to make your own biodiesel right in your backyard.

The first steps you should take in making biodiesel is to prepare everything you’ll need to get started. You’ll need oil, a container to hold the fuel while you make it, a setting vessel, a filtering system, 90% pure sulfuric acid, 90% pure methanol, as well as a mixture of methoxide.

The first thing you should do if you are using used cooking oil in the process is make sure its clean. It should be heated for around 15 minutes in order to get rid of any water which could be present in the oil. After the oil is heated, it should be placed in your setting tank for at least 24 hours so any impurities in the oil will settle and you can drain the water and food impurities.

To begin making your biodiesel, you’ll need a good ratio. About 10% oil should be combined with 95% pure methanol to create your oil, but you should keep in mind the more pure the methanol you use, the better the fuel will perform once it is combusted. The methanol should be mixed into the oil for about five minutes, or until the entire mixture starts to look a little bit cloudy. From here, 1mg of sulfuric acid should be added for every gallon of oil. You should always make sure you take proper safety precautions as you deal with sulfuric acid, as it can be very dangerous otherwise.

Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, you should lower the heat a bit and keep stirring. Finally, remove it entirely from heat and keep stirring for around 2 hours. Once that is complete, you should let the mixture stand for around 8 hours to ensure it is properly settled. Once you’ve let the mixture set for 8 hours and you notice it’s solidified a bit, you need to reheat it just enough to return it to its liquid form. Once this process is complete, you need to add 15% methoxide mixture into it and stir for five minutes.

Once the mixture has set for five minutes, you’re ready to add the bio-diesel into any of your engines. The process may seem time consuming and difficult, but it is really no harder than following a cooking recipe. As with anything, the more you use the process, the more familiar you become with it and the easier it is for you to make it. Since biodiesel is cleaner and healthier for the environment, you should take great pride in knowing you’re helping become part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.

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