Making Biodiesel At Home Using Waste Vegetable Oil

This article is for those who are a little moretype of 1 milliliter dropper
experienced atmaking biodiesel at home and whoPH paper (to test for acidity )an old blenderplastic
wish to progress from usingstraight vegetable oilor glass measuring cups or beakers, with metric
to waste oil. As users of biodiesel fuelknowmeasures--and/or a gram scaleplastic, glass or
vegetable oil will react very similarly to diesel fuelstainless stirrers and spoons,plastic buckets
in a diesel engine. Like diesel fuel, biodiesel will ignite1. Dissolve 1 gram NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide- Lye)
whencompressed causing air in the enginein 1000 ml. of water. This is your NaOH solution.
cylinders to expand. This isthe energy that pushes2. Dissolve 1ml. of wasted vegetable oil in 10 ml.
the engine pistons into motion.Isopropyl Alcohol(IPA).
The reason you must make biodiesel is that if3. With an eyedropper, drop the diluted NaOH into
you burned straightunprocessed oils in the dieselwasted vegetableoil mixture a milliliter at a time.
engine it would simply congeal andthen clot yourCount the drops. After eachdrop check the ph
fuel injectors and engine like cholesterollevel of the WVO solution with standard phpaper--
hardeninghuman arteries.you will see an eventual rise in the ph level.
Read more on how to Make Your Own BiodieselContinue toadd the NaOH solution into the WVO
There are many biodiesel recipes for removingsolution, a drop at a time,until it reaches a ph of
the fatty acids from oil.8-9.
Here is a very common and reputable recipe forTo determine your proportions, figure:
making biodiesel at home from waste oil.The number of drops of NaOH needed for the
You will need:WVO solution to reach a ph of 8-9 1 ml. plus 3.5
Used or fresh vegetable oil (that has beeng. NaOH to catalyze the oil.
strained so that it is free of particulates such asThen go ahead and prepare a larger batch in your
food crumbs)blender. Don'tforget to clarify, settle and bubble
Lyewash this mixture as usual and remember to
Methanolfollow the usual safety precautions for
Isopropyl Alcohol (99% IPA)eyedropper- or othermakingbiodiesel at home.