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ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Center for AppropriateTechnology, through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Theseorganizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies, or individuals. NCAT has ofﬁces in Fayetteville,Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702), Butte, Montana, and Davis, California.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

www.attra.ncat.org

Biodiesel - A Primer

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Abstract: This publication is an introduction to home biodiesel production. It includes lists of equipment and materialsneeded to make small batches of biodiesel. It describes biodiesel and includes cautionary notes and procedures for makingtest batches and 5-gallon batches. An extensive resource list is also provided.

Introduction

Biodiesel is an alternative to petroleum diesel. It is calledbiodiesel because it is made from mostly biodegradablematerials and can be used as fuel in diesel engines. Itcan also be used in boilers or furnaces designed to useheating oils or in oil-fueled lighting equipment. It canbe used neat (100% biodiesel), or it can be blended withpetroleum diesel.The purpose of this publication is to describe howbiodiesel can be made by an individual to provide fuelfor diesel machinery on a farm or ranch. Please notethat biodiesel used on public roads is subject to federal,state, and local taxes, just as is petroleum diesel. Thereare several processes that can be used to make biodiesel;this publication will describe one simple process. For in-formation about other processes and other research doneon biodiesel, see the

Resources

section. Note that thereare a number of resources describing closed biodieselprocessors, including how to make them at a low cost.A closed system processor mitigates some of the safetyissues and can save money by reclaiming methanol, anexpensive component of biodiesel.Biodiesel can be made in any quantity, from a cup or soup to many gallons. The process described here is a batchprocess. Steady ﬂow processes are more appropriate forbiodiesel manufacturing plants than for the individualfarmer or rancher. Since it is better to make small mis-takes than big mistakes, I encourage people interested inmaking biodiesel to start with small batches and gradu-ally work up to making larger batches.

Introduction .............................1Table of Contents ......................1About Biodiesel ........................3Making a Small Batch Using NewVegetable Oil .........................5Making a Small Batch Using WasteVegetable Oil .........................6Making a Larger Batch Using NewOil ........................................7Making a Larger Batch Using UsedFryer Oil ...............................8Washing Biodiesel ....................8How to Use Biodiesel ..............10Resources ..............................10

Table of Contents

By David Ryan, P.E.NCAT Energy SpecialistDecember 2004©NCAT 2004

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HAZARDS!Some words of caution: Making biodiesel is relatively simple, easier than making beer.However, there are caustic, toxic, volatile, and flammable chemicals involved. The potentialfor personal injury and property damage is very real. Neither the author of this publication,the National Center for Appropriate Technology, nor anyone else is responsible for themistakes you make. Do not rely solely on this publication for information about makingbiodiesel; carefully study other publications and start small. Wear an appropriate respi-rator (note that the only approved respirators for methanol are respirators with externalair supplies; see

Resources

), heavy rubber gloves, safety goggles, and clothing that willprotect your skin from chemicals, especially methanol. It can be absorbed through theskin and cause illness, blindness, or debilitation.Heating the oil to remove the water and transferring the oil to buckets are two potentially dangerous steps in the process of making biodiesel. When heating the used oil, be carefulto keep it from spattering and making the floor slippery. You also need to be cautiousabout using burners or electric heaters, just as if you were cooking. Hot oil will meltplastic buckets, and you will have a mess. Be careful to cool hot oil to below 120°Fbefore pouring it into a plastic bucket. Do not use anything that comes in contact withbiodiesel or the chemicals used to make biodiesel for food production.Making biodiesel requires a well-ventilated area to reduce the danger of fire and explosionand exposure to methanol. Methanol can vaporize, and given the proper mix with oxygenand an ignition source, it can ignite with invisible flame—that’s why to make it safer oilcompanies had to put 15 percent gasoline in it so the flames could be seen. When mak-ing biodiesel in larger quantities, make it outside or somewhere there is no chance of aspark or flame coming in contact with the methanol. Any wiring in indoor areas wheremethanol is used must be explosion proof.FeedstocksEither new or used vegetable oil (cooking oil) canbe used as a fuel for diesel engines under properconditions. Vegetable oil must be filtered to 5microns and heated to at least 140°F for use indiesel engines. See

Resources

for more on usingwaste vegetable oils for fuel.

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About Biodiesel

Biodiesel is made by chemically reacting vegeta-ble oil or animal fat (or combinations of oils andfats) with alcohol (usually nearly pure methanolor denatured ethanol) and a catalyst (sodiumhydroxide, or lye). The oil is chemically acidic;the alcohol is chemically a base. This chemicalreaction breaks the fat molecules in the oils intoan ester, which is the biodiesel fuel, and glycerol.This reaction is called transesterification. Sincethe biodiesel is less dense than the glycerol, itfloats on top of the glycerol and may be pumpedoff, or the glycerol can be drained off the bottom.The fuel can then be filtered and used in heatingor lighting applications. Some people use it indiesel engines without further processing, butothers recommend removing impurities (soap,un-reacted alcohol, and sodium hydroxide) by awashing process.Almost any variety of oil or grease — from newfood-grade vegetable oil to used cooking oil ortrap grease to waste water treatment-plant grease— can be turned into biodiesel. We do not recom-mend using waste water treatment-plant or trapgrease for home production, because of potentialcross-contamination with hazardous materialssuch as pesticides, herbicides, and toxic cleaners.A 2001 survey showed that waste-water treatmentgrease picked up a number of bad compounds(including benzene, toluene, arsenic, and lead)from other sources on its way to the plant. Eventrap grease from a restaurant had contaminationproblems. If you have access to inexpensive oilor grease, such as a by-product of some process,it may be quite cost-effective for you to manufac-ture your own fuel from these by-products. Theamounts of reactants (oil, methanol, and sodiumhydroxide) vary to some degree, depending onwhat oil you use. The amount of methanol andsodium hydroxide must be sufficient to react withthe vegetable oil, but you should not use exces-sive amounts of these reactants. The cost of themethanol and sodium hydroxide is significant,and you do not want to waste them. Just as anengine requires excess air to be sure that all thefuel burns, it takes excess methanol to be sureall of the oil reacts. As you develop your ownexpertise, you will be able to adjust the amountsused to optimize your process and minimize howmuch of the reactants you use.Anyone who has experience with diesel enginesknows that diesel fuel will turn into a waxy gelat low temperatures and cannot be pumped untilit is warmed up. The temperature at which thefuel will no longer pour is called the

pour point

gel point

. Biodiesel has a higher pour point thanNo. 2 petroleum diesel (biodiesel gels at a highertemperature). Some oil feed-stocks, such as co-conut oil or animal fats, result in biodiesel thatwill gel at relatively high temperatures, whereasbiodiesel made from canola or rapeseed oil willhave a lower pour point. Additives can lowerthe pour point in cold weather, or biodiesel canbe mixed with No. 1 petroleum diesel to lowerthe pour point. Biodiesel should be stored atabove-freezing temperature, and temperaturecontrolled heaters can be installed on tanks andfuel lines in diesel vehicles. Some vehicles haveheated fuel ﬁlters that also help.

Storage of chemicals and biodiesel

Feed stocks and ﬁnished biodiesel should beproperly stored. Methanol is a poison. Youshould avoid all contact with it, including gettingit on your skin or breathing the fumes, becausecontact with methanol can cause irreversible ill-ness, blindness, and death. Methanol absorbswater, and so should not be stored in any opencontainer. Methanol should be stored in ap-propriate sealed containers, and these should beplainly marked as containing methanol. Sodiumhydroxide is caustic (a strong base). Sodiumhydroxide also absorbs water and will becomeunusable unless it is kept in a tightly sealedcontainer. One step in making biodiesel is themaking of sodium methoxide. Do not mix up andstore methoxide in advance. React the methoxidewith the oil as soon as possible.Oil feed stocks can go rancid (smell bad) or evenbe rancid when you get them. Avoid rancid oils.Used oil should be turned into biodiesel as soon aspossible, in order to keep it from going rancid andincreasing the amount of free fatty acids. Rancidoil produces less biodiesel and may not even reactto make it. Finished biodiesel has a long shelf life.Finished biodiesel should be stored in yellowdiesel cans, and these should be clearly marked ascontaining biodiesel. Biodiesel is a good solvent.It will dissolve rubber and some plastics, removepaint, oxidize aluminum and other metals, andhas been reported to destroy asphalt and concreteif spills were not cleaned quickly. Keep it offitems you care about.