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Biodiesel Do It Yourseld PDF
Biodiesel Do It Yourseld PDF
Contents Introduction
Hazards .............................. 1
Biodiesel is an alternative to petroleum
Storage of chemicals
and biodiesel ................... 3
diesel. Biodiesel is permanently thinned
plant- or animal-based oil, with a viscos-
Materials ............................ 4
ity approximating that of standard No. 2
Sodium hydroxide
versus potassium diesel fuel. The fuel is called biodiesel
hydroxide .......................... 4 because it is made from mostly biodegrad-
Cost...................................... 4 able materials and can be used as fuel in
How to do a titration..... 5 diesel engines. Biodiesel can also be used Materials for making a table-top batch of biodiesel.
Equipment ........................ 6 in boilers or furnaces designed to use Photo by Ericka Dana.
Choosing a scale of
heating oils or in oil-fueled lighting equip-
production........................ 6 ment. It can be used neat, meaning provide fuel for diesel machinery on a farm
Making a table-top 100-percent biodiesel, or it can be blended or ranch. Please note that biodiesel used on
batch of biodiesel ......... 7 with petroleum diesel. public roads is subject to federal, state and
Washing biodiesel ......... 9 local taxes, just as petroleum diesel is.
The purpose of this publication is to
Methanol recovery ...... 10
describe how people can make biodiesel to Biodiesel can be made in any quantity,
Glycerol disposal .......... 11 from 1 cup to many gallons. The process
Conclusion ...................... 11 described here is a batch process, which
Further resources ......... 11 Straight vegetable oil (SVO) is appropriate for an individual farmer or
Under the proper conditions, either new rancher. Steady flow processes are more
or used vegetable oil such as cooking oil appropriate for biodiesel manufacturing
can be used as a fuel for diesel engines plants. Because small mistakes are pref-
without processing the oil into biodiesel. erable to large mistakes, people interested
Vegetable oil must be filtered to 5 microns in making biodiesel may want to start
or smaller and heated to at least 140 degrees with small batches and work up to making
Fahrenheit for use in diesel engines. Other larger batches.
ATTRA—National Sustainable
common terms for unprocessed vegetable
Agriculture Information Service
(www.ncat.attra.org) is managed oil running in a diesel engine include pure
by the National Center for Appro- plant oil (PPO), which is the same as SVO, Hazards
priate Technology (NCAT) and is
funded under a grant from the
and waste vegetable oil (WVO) Although Making biodiesel is relatively simple; some
United States Department of SVO has some advantages over biodiesel, say it is easier than making beer.
Agriculture’s Rural Business- SVO has been shown to shorten engine
Cooperative Service. Visit the
NCAT Web site (www.ncat.org/
life and cause other fuel-related problems. However, there are caustic, toxic, volatile
sarc_current.php) for See the Further resources section for more and f lammable chemicals involved. The
more information on information about using SVO for fuel. potential for personal injury and property
our sustainable agri-
culture projects. damage is very real. Neither the author nor
nor anyone else associated with this publi- heating the used oil, be careful to keep
cation is responsible for potential mistakes, it from spattering and making the fl oor
injuries and damage. Do not rely solely slippery. Be cautious about using burn-
on this publication for information about ers or electric heaters, just as if you were
making biodiesel; carefully study other cooking. Hot oil will melt plastic buckets,
publications and start small. creating a mess. Be careful to cool hot oil
to below 120 degrees before pouring it into
Wear an appropriate respirator when a plastic bucket.
making biodiesel. The only approved
respirators for methanol are respirators Do not use anything that comes in
with external air supplies. For informa- contact with biodiesel or the chemicals
tion on obtaining a respirator, see the used to make biodiesel for food production.
Further resources section at the end Making biodiesel requires a well-venti-
of this publication Other necessar y lated area to reduce the danger of fi re
equipment includes heavy rubber gloves, and explosion and exposure to metha-
safety goggles and clothing that will nol. Methanol can vaporize, and when
protect your sk i n from chem ica ls, mixed with the proper amount of oxy-
especially methanol. Methanol can be gen and an ignition source, can ignite
Related ATTRA with an invisible fl ame. When making
Publications absorbed through the skin and cause
biodiesel in larger quantities, make it
illness, blindness and debilitation.
Biodiesel: outside or in a place where there is no
The Sustainability Heating the oil to remove the water chance of a spark or fl ame coming in con-
Dimensions and transferring the heated oil are tact with the methanol. Any wiring in
Biodiesel Use, t wo potent ia l ly dangerous steps in indoor areas where methanol is used must
Handling, and Fuel the process of making biodiesel. When be explosion-proof.
Quality
Oilseed Processing for
Small-Scale Producers
Renewable Energy About biodiesel
Opportunities on Biodiesel is made by chemically reacting vegetable oil or animal fat or a combination of oils and
the Farm fats with alcohol, usually nearly pure methanol, denatured ethanol or ethanol. The mixture is then
combined with a catalyst: an alkaline chemical such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydrox-
Biodiesel Production
ide, also known as lye. The oil is chemically acidic. The combination of the alcohol and catalyst,
for On-Farm Use
also known commonly as methoxide, is chemically a base. This chemical reaction breaks the fat
The Sidestreams of molecules in the oils into an ester, which is the biodiesel fuel, and glycerol. This reaction is called
Biodiesel Production transesterification. Because the biodiesel is not as dense as the glycerol, the biodiesel floats on
top of the glycerol and may be poured or pumped off, or the glycerol can be drained off the bot-
Introduction to the tom. The fuel can then be filtered and used in heating or lighting applications. Although some
Diesel Engine people use the fuel in diesel engines without further processing, it is strongly recommended
Basic Chemistry of that impurities such as soap, unreacted alcohol and catalyst be removed first by a washing pro-
Biodiesel cess. Unwashed biodiesel is caustic and incompatible with modern fuel-injection systems and
use will lead to component failure. Modern diesel engines made after 2004 require high-quality
fuel to avoid problems.
Anyone who has experience with diesel engines knows that diesel fuel will turn into a waxy gel
at low temperatures. This is called the gel point and fuel at the gel point cannot be pumped until
it is warmed up. The temperature at which the fuel will no longer pour is called the pour point.
Biodiesel has a higher pour point than No. 2 petroleum diesel. This means biodiesel gels at a
higher temperature. Some oil feed stocks, such as coconut oil or animal fats, result in biodiesel
that will gel at relatively high temperatures, whereas biodiesel made from canola or rapeseed oil
will have a lower gel point. Biodiesel is commonly blended with No. 1 petroleum diesel to lower
the gel and pour points. Biodiesel should be stored at above-freezing temperature, and tempera-
ture controlled heaters can be installed on tanks and fuel lines in diesel vehicles. Some vehicles
have heated fuel filters that also help keep biodiesel above the gel point.
A
caustic. These chemicals also absorb raw oil requires 20 percent methanol. For void all
water and will become unusable unless example, a proper ratio is 10 gallons of
contact with
kept in a tightly sealed container. oil to 2 gallons of methanol. The ratio of
catalyst varies depending on materials methanol,
Oil feed stocks can go rancid or even be
used. One gallon of raw oil yields nearly including skin contact
rancid when acquired. Avoid rancid oils.
Used oil should be turned into biodiesel 1 gallon of fi nished fuel. and breathing in
as soon as possible in order to keep it from New, degummed vegetable oil or waste fumes. Contact with
going rancid and increasing the amount vegetable oil from restaurants can be methanol can cause
of free fatty acids. Rancid, wet or heavily used for the oil component. The better the irreversible illness,
used oil produces less biodiesel and may quality of the oil, the easier it is to make blindness and death.
not even react enough to make biodiesel. high-quality biodiesel. Oilseed farmers can
Finished biodiesel can be safely stored for press and degum oil or get pressed raw
six months. oil. See the ATTRA publication Oilseed
Improper storage of biodiesel, waste Processing for Small-scale Producers for
vegetable oil and glycerol can attract more information.
rodents. Be careful to keep a clean work- Methanol, or wood alcohol, was once
space and dispose of waste quickly. made through pyrolysis of wood, but now
Mice and rats can quickly chew through methanol is made primarily from natural
plastic containers, so be vigilant. Keep the gas. It is used as a gas-line antifreeze
work area secure from small children and and for racing fuel. Methanol is avail-
pets, as the biodiesel can have an attrac- able from chemical suppliers. Metha-
tive, sweet smell. Biodiesel-soaked rags nol in 55-gallon drums is available from
and paper towels can spontaneously fuel dealers, auto parts stores or speed
combust and care must be taken to avoid shops. HEET gas-line antifreeze is 99-
this possibility. percent pure methanol and can be used
Finished biodiesel should be stored in to make small batches of biodiesel. Be
steel drums, poly totes or yellow die- sure to purchase HEET that is sold in
sel cans, and these containers should yellow bottles. Iso-HEET, which is sold
be clearly marked as containing biodie- in red bottles, is isopropyl alcohol and
sel. Biodiesel is a good solvent. It will will not work. Do not assume that fuel-
dissolve rubber and some plast ics, line antifreeze is pure methanol unless it
remove paint, oxidize aluminum and is labeled as such. Be sure to use nearly
other metals and has been reported to pure methanol.
B
Equipment
uying
1) A 1-cup jelly jar or other similar glass
Choosing a scale of production
chemicals After trying a table-top batch, decide on a
container
in bulk and production system that is scaled to fit avail-
mixing batches in Remember to never use biodiesel production able space, available feedstock and fuel
a safe and efficient
containers for food preparation. needs. Batch mixing can be done on a variety
reactor saves time, 2) Two 1-milliliter syringes with gradua- of scales, and there are several system designs
tions marked on the side to consider. Batches of 10 gallons or less can
money and head-
be mixed with gentle agitation or stirred with
aches in the long run. Note that one syringe is for oil and one is a paint mixer. It is a simple, inexpensive pro-
for the lye-water mixture. Always use the cess, but this type of paddle mixing can leave
same eyedropper for the same chemical; unreacted material and lead to lower-quality
do not mix them up. fuel. Mixing in an open-top container can lead
3) Safety glasses and rubber or nitrile gloves to splashing chemicals and the release of dan-
gerous and flammable methanol fumes. Most
popular small-scale production systems cur-
Procedure
rently in use are in the 30- to 50-gallon range
1) Pour 10 milliliters of room-tempera- and utilize circulating pumps to provide con-
ture isopropyl alcohol into the 1-cup sistent mixing in a closed mixing container.
jelly jar.
Although a small-scale mixer or crude
2) Add 2 or 3 drops of phenolphthalein to paddle mixer may be inexpensive to
the alcohol. build, remember that economies of
3) Using one of the eyedroppers, add scale apply. It can take the same amount of
the 0.1-percent solution drop by drop time to produce 10 and 30 gallons of biodie-
until the alcohol just starts to turn red. sel. Buying chemicals in bulk and mixing
Stir the alcohol while dropping in the batches in a safe and efficient reactor saves
0.1-percent solution. time, money and headaches in the long run.
4) Using the other eyedropper, add There are many designs for building a
exactly 1 milliliter of the oil to be processor and countless turn-key kits
titrated. Now, fi ll the eyedropper with available. An in-depth discussion of pro-
10 milliliter of 0.1-percent solution. cessor design and construction is beyond
Start dripping this solution into the the scope of this publication, but more
mixture until it stays pink for at least information is available in the Further
20 seconds. resources section.
Page 6 ATTRA Biodiesel: Do-it-yourself production basics
Making a table-top batch of biodiesel Rubber gloves
In the past, many biodiesel enthusiasts made demonstra- Safety glasses
tion batches using a kitchen blender. We strongly recom- Mixing the methoxide is the most potentially hazardous
mend that you DO NOT make biodiesel in a blender. The step in the biodiesel process. Make sure that you mix the
high speed of operation can cause splashing of caustic methanol and catalyst in a clean glass jar with a tight fit-
chemicals, and the rubber and plastic parts can degrade ting lid. DO NOT mix in a plastic container because the
and leak. The easiest and safest method to try a small batch container may dissolve. Do your mixing in a well-ventilated
of biodiesel is the one originated by users at www.biodie- area, as the methanol fumes are toxic.
selcommunity.org. Nicknamed the “Dr Pepper Technique,”
it utilizes a 2-liter plastic soda bottle as a sealed mixing
vessel to safely mix a small batch. Below is the author’s
adaptation of this method.
Before beginning this or trying any biodiesel processing
at home, please refer to all hazards and safety precautions
discussed in this publication as well in the articles listed in
the Further resources.
Materials
1 liter of new vegetable (cooking) oil
Catalyst, either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide
Methanol, commonly available as HEET fuel line treatment
in the yellow bottle. DO NOT use Iso-HEET in the red bottle;
this is isopropyl alcohol.
Equipment
A clean, dry 2-liter soda bottle Measure 250 milliliters of methanol, using a graduated
A measuring cup or graduated beaker beaker or measuring cup to measure. Add the methanol
A scale to the glass mixing jar with the catalyst.
A glass jar to mix the methanol and catalyst to Stir the methoxide mixture until the catalyst is com-
produce methoxide. pletely dissolved. You can also cover the jar with a tight-
A funnel fitting lid and mix the methoxide by swirling or shaking,
Put the cap on the soda bottle and shake vigorously for
about 30 seconds. Let the mixture settle and then shake
again for about 10 seconds every 10 minutes; repeat this
three times.
O
performed at a lower pressure. Attaching to a biodigester or a proper compost
a vacuum pump to the distilling tank low- ne of
pile, where it can safely be converted to
ers the danger of explosion. The vaporized fertilizer. Glycerol has about the same the major
methanol must then be passed through feed value as corn and there are numer- issues
a condenser, cooled and recaptured ous university studies documenting its use to deal with in
as a liquid. Biodiesel researchers and as a feed supplement. Check local regula- biodiesel production
enthusiasts are currently exploring several tions before disposing of glycerol. NEVER is the disposal of
systems and links to more information dump glycerol in a ditch or waterway
can be found in the Further resources glycerol
and DO NOT pour into drains or toilets,
sect ion of this publicat ion. Severa l especially if you have a septic system.
methanol recovery systems rely again
on a water heater to provide a relatively Conclusion
safe, sealed tank to heat the glycerol and This publication is meant as a starting
automotive condensers or homemade cool- point for making biodiesel. It is not a
ing towers. Because biodiesel made with complete reference guide and we encour-
sodium hydroxide will produce a glycerol age you to explore all of the additional
that is more solid when cool, it is best to information supplied in the Further
use potassium hydroxide if recovering the resources section. One of the best ways
methanol, or pump the sodium hydroxide to learn about making biodiesel is by
methanol directly in to the distilling unit joining a local biodiesel club or group.
while it is still hot. Classes are offered in many areas through
local clubs, community colleges and farm
Glycerol disposal groups. Make sure that you have as much
One of the major issues to deal with information as possible before mixing
in biodiesel production is the disposal your fi rst batch, and always remember –
of glycerol, the methanol-laden glycerin SAFETY FIRST.
Further resources
Unless noted, none of the biodiesel resources cited Internet discussion groups
below are affiliated with NCAT. Joining these groups can be a great way to learn from
Books those who are producing biodiesel. This is only a
sampling of forums on topics like homebrew biodiesel,
Biodiesel Homebrew Guide: Everything you need to straight vegetable oil and home heating.
know to make quality alternative diesel fuel out of waste
restaurant fryer oil. Maria “Mark” Alovert Biodiesel & SVO Discussion Forums
Available at www.localb100.com http://biodiesel.infopop.cc
Biodiesel Power: The Passion, the people, and the Yahoo Biodiesel Group
politics of the Next Renewable Fuel. Lyle Estill http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biodiesel
Available at http://theabundancefoundation.org/ Yahoo Biodiesel Basics Group
biodiesel-power.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biodieselbasics
www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 11
Frybrid Diesel/Vegetable Oil Glycerin uses
www.frybrid.com/forum Glycerin, from Journey to Forever
www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_glycerin.html
Biodiesel cooperatives Straight vegetable oil as diesel fuel, from
Piedmont Biofuels Coop Journey to Forever
www.biofuels.coop http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html
Yoderville Biodiesel Collective
Biodeisel & SVO Discussion Forums
www.ybdc.org
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/cfrm/
Web resources f/898605551
Journey to Forever Frybrid Diesel/Straight Vegetable Oil
www.journeytoforever.org www.frybrid.com/svo.htm
Journey to Forever is a small, non-government orga- Reclaiming methanol
nization based in Japan and involved in Third World BioLyle’s Biodiesel Workshop
rural development work. The Web site also offers a lot www.biolyle.com/process/methanol.html
of information about other appropriate technologies.
Safety
Biodieselcommunity.org
www.biodieselcommunity.org Biodiesel Safety and Best Management Practices for
Biodieselcommunity.org is a collaborative, Small-Scale Noncommercial Use and Production, from
web-based tutorial run by and for people who make Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/agrs103.pdf
their own biodiesel.
Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial: Biodiesel Safety
National Biodiesel Board www.biodieselcommunity.org/safety
www.biodiesel.org Occupational Safety and Health Administration
www.osha.gov
Government agencies with biofuels
information Respirator selection
Oak Ridge National Laboratories National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
www.ornl.gov Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
Biodiesel publications from the National www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0397.html
Renewable Energy Laboratory Making soap using biodiesel waste
www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/npbf/pubs_ Soap, from Journey to Forever
biodiesel.html www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_glycerin.html#soap
This site offers PDF and HTML files about biodiesel
production, handling and use; biodiesel quality, Biodiesel as a home heating fuel
stability and compatibility; biodiesel emissions; and Bio Heat
biodiesel fleet evaluations. www.bioheatonline.com
Heaters, burners and stoves, from Journey to Forever
Standards and testing, chemical http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_heaters.html
composition of biodiesel
National standards for biodiesel, from
Journey to Forever Biodiesel: Do-it-yourself production basics
www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield2.html#biodstds Updated by Rich Dana
NCAT Energy Specialist
ASTM Standards © 2009 NCAT
www.astm.org Holly Michels, Editor
Cetane Number Testing of Biodiesel Amy Smith, Production
www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/ This publication is available on the Web at:
gen/19960901_gen-187.pdf www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biodiesel.html or
www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/biodiesel.pdf
Titration scale IP 263
http://gotoplanb.net/gapri/TitrationScale.xls Slot 205
Version 062609
Page 12 ATTRA