Make Your Own Biodiesel!

video Make Your Own Biodiesel!

This video shows how easy it is using items available at nearly any supermarket, and details some facts about biodiesel fuel you may not have known!

PREPARE THE METHANOL/LYE MIXTURE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA (preferably outside)! FOLLOW ALL PRECAUTIONS LISTED ON THE HEET/ LYE CONTAINERS!

Ingredients: 1 cup (250 ml) Heet brand Fuel Line Additive (Methanol), 1/2 Tsp (4 grams) Lye drain cleaner, 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable oil, protective eyewear, rubber gloves, dry glass jar with airtight lid, Dry 2 litre pop bottle, funnel.

Step 1: Mix the methanol and lye in the glass bottle. Swirl and/or stir/shake until all lye is dissolved.

Step 2: Heat Veggie oil to approximately 60 C or 140 F.

Step 3: Use funnel to add oil to 2 litre pop bottle. Add Methanol/lye (methoxide) mixture with funnel. Cap the bottle and shake vigorously for 20-40 seconds.

Step 4: Watch over the next 20 mins as Glycerin layer forms at bottom of pop bottle. The upper layer (lighter colored) will be cloudy. Over the next 1-2 days, the upper layer will become crystal clear. Congrats! You've just made Bio-Diesel!

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Nov 3, 2011. 9:29 AM

Pyrophoric says:

Shaking vigorously for a few seconds won't produce much of a yield. You must let the solution stir for about an hour using a stir plate. The settling process also takes about an hour.

Jul 25, 2011. 2:36 PM05Cummins says:

Can any of you tell me what the shelf life of Bio diesel is?

Dec 6, 2007. 5:47 AMcaptainpyro1 says:

you might want to mention that different oils have different pH's and different pH's will gererate different amounts of fuel/glycerin, also if you do decide to use waste oil, WVO, then you need to titrate it, doing a 1 liter batch compined with about 2 mL's of phenolphthalein and adding successive drops of a 1 molar sulferic acid solution. this is just a general overview, but you might consider it. other than that very informative

Dec 6, 2007. 6:44 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

Exactly. Another option is to simply use 1 TSP lye, which works with about 99% of used oil, although you have to do some washing of the end product to get rid of any excess NaOH. You can also titrate using a bit of the oil thinned with isopropyl alchohol, and then a known percentage of NaOH suspended in water and use the Phenol for pH change, then calculate from that. But this video was primarily used as an introductory piece. =)

Jul 23, 2011. 9:03 AM05Cummins says:

What is the shelf life of the BD once it has been washed?

Jun 7, 2010. 8:51 AMani4meg says:

can anybody suggest and send me the project on my email- iamabadboy.anirudh@gmail.com project on information and communication technology school level project and green energy

May 10, 2010. 5:05 PMhill says:

so, i read all of the comments but i still need to know if this method of making biodiesel requires me to wash the biodiesel ?? of can the "upper layer" be used right away without being washed after it turns "crystal clear" ??

thanx

May 16, 2008. 5:33 PM

Mr. Rig It says:

It is my understanding that Mr. Diesel did not create the diesel engine to run on biodiesel but to run on coal dust. Coal dust was a nuisance at the coal mines and no one had a use for the dust itself so there were piles and piles of it. So Mr. Diesel came up with his engine to use this untapped resource. However, I am not saying you are wrong I am just saying this is what I have learned. have you heard this also?

Oct 12, 2008. 5:56 PMMatt D655 says:

NO he created it originally to run on peanut oil so that is basically biofuel

Sep 3, 2009. 2:18 PMBryan Smith says:

Yep...Peanut oil is correct!

May 19, 2008. 12:34 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

In 1892 Rudy built the Carnot Heat Engine, which is the engine that burned coal dust. In 1897 he built his first prototype Diesel engine (which almost exploded as he was demonstrating it, which just goes to show that our Instructable disasters go a LONG way back ;) Ross

May 19, 2008. 2:11 AM

Mr. Rig It says:

ahh.. good info, that does sound familiar now. Thanks for the info and yes our disaters do go a long way back.

Apr 6, 2009. 1:30 AMlilykoart says:

great video! i wonder why biofuel isn't used more??? any future instructions on how to titrate the fuel out and actually use it? can i put this fuel in my 2004 toyota highlander? thanks for sharing and looking forward for more of your instructables!

Mar 7, 2009. 7:00 PMwenpherd says:

can you use make veggie oil out of corn and wud it work?

Feb 20, 2009. 1:43 AMfafa boy says:

nice

Feb 7, 2009. 9:05 AMmr.space says:

I know this sounds stupid, but could you use methelated spirits?

Jan 24, 2009. 5:44 PMsupremedragonx says:

i think video won't show player

Dec 27, 2008. 2:50 AMajparag says:

thank u for posting such a wonderful project.... I want to know what is the concentration of methanol... example:10%...20%...50%... i m going to purchase it from lab and they need to know the concentration

Oct 17, 2008. 1:21 PManoniemouse says:

I plan to do some lower temp metal melting. I saw a used-oil fired blast furnace. It appears that new motor oil will not fire up, B U T, Used, filtered motor oil works great. So you need to use used oil only, even for biofuels. Anybody have an explanation why this so?

Oct 12, 2008. 6:00 PMMatt D655 says:

i know at least 30 different facts of diesel and gasoline for an example if you throw a match on a puddle of Kero or Diesel it wont work and put it out...if you throw a different match on gas...DAMN it will work

Jul 17, 2008. 8:03 AMMatt D655 says:

Fact alcohol is bad for diesel engines dont use alcohol in there.

Jul 17, 2008. 10:38 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

Ummm... you do understand that you actually aren't putting ANY alcohol in your engine, right? It merely serves as a catalyst for creating biodiesel, and is the standard chemical used in home to commercial BD production...

Oct 12, 2008. 5:55 PMMatt D655 says:

ya i guess ur right

Oct 12, 2008. 3:51 AMnature223 says:

you also need the correct fuel mapping and the correct hoses....or it'll run ok,then freak out..and blow lines

Mar 25, 2008. 1:56 PMia2ca1984 says:

This is wonderful, but indulge a novice if you would. I don't have a diesel vehicle so where else could I use it?

Sep 14, 2008. 8:20 AMbudgenator says:

I've heard that it work very well for getting grease stains out of clothing. I've also heard that you can add some biodiesel to normal gasoline and anticipate doing some experiments with one of my small 2 cycle engines first.

Jul 17, 2008. 10:45 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

Hmmm... I'm not sure that it really has any other uses besides that. I may be wrong.

Sep 7, 2008. 12:09 PMmsw100 says:

It will work in an oil fired boiler

Aug 14, 2008. 7:28 PMSpencerr says:

could this be used for a 2 stroke engine?

Dec 7, 2007. 11:39 AMRAD_ED says:

You for got to mention that Biodiesel can eat threw normal rubber hoses other wise great instructable.

Dec 7, 2007. 1:09 PMbabblin5 (author) says:

You are correct, which is why I mentioned that they run on newer diesel engines without modification. After 1993 (I think it was the year) sulphur was discontinued as an additive in petro-diesel for lubrication due to acid rain problems. Cars manufactured after that year were made with different fuel lines because the new additive degraded rubber fuel lines as well. Thank you for the comment! =)

Jul 16, 2008. 10:53 PMjimmysanders says:

So after 1993 is a good year to get?

Jul 17, 2008. 10:47 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

Generally anything AFTER 1993. Remember, cars come out the year before their actual "date". Also, BD clubs are springing up all over the place, city-wise, especially as gas prices continue to go up...

Apr 7, 2008. 6:26 PMdaedalus15 says:

biodiesel IS easy to make but not quite this easy.There are a few more steps and the lye can't be just off the shelf drain cleaner it has to be at least 85% pure(drain cleaner is about 50%) if you want to make good BD. A realy good place for more info journeytoforever.org.

Jul 17, 2008. 10:43 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

Red Devil drain cleaner is 100% lye (sodium hydroxide).

Jul 17, 2008. 10:44 AMbabblin5 (author) says:

It's also fat-free and has Omega 3's in it, plus that yogurt culture that regulates your digestive system... ;)

May 13, 2008. 9:07 PMJeremyA says:

for the most part BioDiesel will have the cetane ratings, and fuel economy. I found I got slightly better economy in my 2005 jetta tdi when I used biodiesel. I believe this has to do with the inceased lubrication that BioDiesel provides. Up to 30% better lubrication.

Feb 8, 2008. 6:05 PMledgendarynoone984 says:

are the measurements proportional if i upgraded it to my main source of fuel

Mar 5, 2008. 10:27 PMbabblin5 (author) says:

Absolutely! One caveat is that BD gels at a higher temperature than petroleum based diesel. In other words, if it's chilly outside, you would need a pre-warmer for the tank. To get around this, many people use a 50/50 blend of BD and petro diesel.

Feb 8, 2008. 6:07 PMledgendarynoone984 says:

what kind of filtering would i have to do to reuse say a restaurants oil

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