Answers To Your Common
Biodiesel FAQ

Our Biodiesel FAQ section is a collection of informative answers to many of your frequently asked questions about biodiesel.

Biodiesel FAQ 1. Why biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a cleaner burning alternative fuel that comes from sustainable resources such as vegetable oils extracted from plants, used cooking oils, animal fat, and algae. It contains no petroleum.

Biodiesel FAQ 2. What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is an efficient and cleaner burning alternative fuel. It is produced by chemically removing glycerin from vegetable oil and replacing it with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Methanol is generally used. The catalytic agent used for the chemical reaction - called “transestrification”, is either lye (sodium hydroxide - NaOH, also known as caustic soda) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). The reaction also produces Glycerin - a by-product that can be used for making soap and other useful products.

Biodiesel FAQ 3. Biodiesel sources:
Biodiesel is produced using a variety of sustainable sources such as vegetable oils extracted from plants, used cooking oils, animal fat, and even algae. It contains no petroleum.

Major vegetable oils used to make biodiesel today are:

• Palm oil
• Peanut oil
• Soy oil
• Rapeseed oil, and
• Used vegetable oil from restaurants

Another oil gaining popularity in countries like India and elsewhere is extracted from the seeds of Jatropha plant. These seeds are known to contain the highest percentage of oil content among known seeds.

Jatropha oil is inedible. Therefore, its use for making biodiesel fuel does not compete with other edible oils for human consumption. To learn more about Jatropha oil and its uses, search it here.

Biodiesel FAQ 4. Making biodiesel at home:
With growing environmental concerns and skyrocketing fuel prices at the pump, it has finally started to make sense to make your own biodiesel fuel economically.

If you are like other fellow Americans - concerned about the environment, you may want to learn - how to make biodiesel fuel . Once you start making your own biodiesel fuel, you are likely to continue producing biodiesel at home.

What You Need: Here is what you will need to make your first batch of homebrew biodiesel!

• Straight vegetable oil (SVO) - new vegetable oil
• Methanol - your local auto supply store carries it. Brand name “HEET” may be used
• Lye - also known as caustic soda - is available in the cleaning supplies section of your local supermarket
• A clean and dry plastic bottle
• Sealable container
• Measuring cup, commercial temperature thermometer, and a scale
• Safety Kit for eye protection, hand gloves, apron etc., and
• A properly ventilated area to mix lye with methanol

How Biodiesel Is Made: Here is how to make biodiesel fuel:

• Follow common sense safety procedures for your own safety and of others
• In a ventilated area, pour one cup of methanol in the plastic bottle
• Add half a teaspoon of lye
• Close the lid and gently shake the mixture until lye is dissolved
• Resulting solution, methoxide, is poisonous. Do not breathe into it
• Heat one liter new vegetable oil to between 130°F and 140°F
• Pour methoxide into the heated oil, seal the container, and shake the mixture vigorously for 30 seconds. Let it rest
• First signs of homemade biodiesel appear in about 10 minutes.
• Biodiesel rises to the top whereas glycerin drops to the bottom
• At this stage, biodiesel is cloudy, and may take up to 48 hours to clear

Make your own biodiesel fuel in 6 easy steps: