| Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Making | | | | So, do you think yo can make biodiesel now? No, |
| Your Own Biodieselby shana | | | | of course not. If it is so simple, then everyone will |
| 1. Biodiesel is EASY to make. | | | | be making it. You need to obtain more information |
| You can make Biodiesel in your kitchen!. Anybody | | | | and gain more knowledge in this area. Come and |
| can make biodiesel. | | | | visit There is plenty of information there. |
| 2. Biodiesel is BETTER than the Petro-diesel fuel | | | | More on making Biodiesel Below: |
| Biodiesel is cleaner. It cuts down on targeted | | | | Picture an oil molecule? Now that's probably a bit |
| emission - better for the environment and better | | | | hard, without a microscope you can't actually see |
| for health. | | | | one. Instead lets look at a ping pong ball with |
| 3. Biodiesel provides good engine performance. | | | | three tennis balls stuck to the side. The three |
| Your diesel motor will run better and last longer | | | | tennis balls are what we are interested in, the ping |
| on your home-made fuel. | | | | pong ball is glycerin |
| 4. The production and use of biodiesel create less | | | | A simple chemical reaction with a big name will |
| carbon dioxide emission compared to petroleum | | | | separate these tennis balls from the ping pong ball. |
| diesel. | | | | In fact this chemical reaction will do a lot more. |
| Hence Causing less damage to the atmosphere. | | | | You will note when you get used veggie oil from |
| 5. The Raw Material for making Biodiesel is | | | | the local fast food store that it looks a bit yuk. |
| Renewable and Biodegradable. | | | | Apart from the veggie oil you will have bits of |
| You can make biodiesel from Vegetable Oil such | | | | cooking detritus like chip bits, crumbs, bits of |
| as palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Soy Oil, etc. | | | | burnt stuff and other gunk that make the oil |
| 6. Petroleum Oil Prices is increasing. | | | | unsuited to healthy cooking. Performing this |
| Now, Biodiesel is at it's infancy. It is the best time | | | | chemical reaction will separate this stuff as well as |
| for you to start experimenting with biodiesel and | | | | the glycerin. What you will get is clean biodiesel |
| if you know how to make it, then when biodeiesel | | | | separated from and lighter than the glycerin and |
| is in demand, you will be at the top. | | | | gunky stuff that once made up your used veggie |
| 7. Biodiesel can be used neat or blended with | | | | oil. |
| petroleum diesel in any proportions. | | | | This simple process of making Biodiesel with a big |
| So, when petroleum diesel is too highly priced, like | | | | name is called transesterification! At right is a |
| it is now, your biodiesel will be very much in | | | | sample of transesterised veggie oil or biodiesel, |
| demand. | | | | (keep reading for a recipe)! In this sample you can |
| 8. No modification is required on your diesel engine. | | | | clearly see the clean biodiesel fuel above and |
| Biodiesel operates in conventional | | | | distinctly separated from the |
| combustion-ignition engines, from light to | | | | Transesterification of veggie oil (making biodiesel) |
| heavy-duty just like petroleum diesel and no | | | | can be performed at home using a home made |
| engine modifications are required. | | | | mixing tank and two readily available ingredients. |
| 9. Fossil fuel is depleting. | | | | The mixing tank(s) I use are pictured below, the |
| Fossil fuel products have been used by mankind | | | | simple ingredients are methanol and caustic soda. |
| as a source of energy and it was assumed that | | | | Methanol is a racing fuel available from fuel agents |
| they will last forever. Time has changed: with | | | | and specialized fuel providers, caustic soda or lye |
| fossil fuel on depletion and global warming on the | | | | is available from the cleaning goods section of |
| increase, it is time to create a sustainable world. | | | | your local supermarket. |
| 10. Best of all is the GREAT feeling of freedom, | | | | Basically what you do is mix the caustic soda with |
| independence and empowerment it will give you. | | | | the methanol and then mix the resultant brew |
| Have you experience such a feeling? You know | | | | into the veggie oil then settle the resultant mix in |
| what I mean. | | | | a tapered bottom mixing tank. The biodiesel, |
| So, How to make Biodiesel? | | | | which is lighter than the glycerin and detritus will |
| Biodiesel is most commonly made by chemically | | | | sit on top of a totally separate layer of glycerin |
| altering an organic oil through the use of a | | | | and contaminants. |
| catalyst and an alcohol, typically Methanol. The | | | | You can try this at home. But before you do |
| chemical reaction that occurs through this process | | | | that, come and visit |
| breaks down the oil molecules and replaces the | | | | I am going to tell you a little bit more about Palm |
| glycerine portion of the molecule with an alcohol | | | | Oil Biodiesel. |
| molecule. The glycerine falls to the bottom and is | | | | Palm oil is the most productive vegetable oil crop |
| drained off resulting in Biodiesel. | | | | and with agronomic techniques developed it is |
| Biodiesel is known chemically as a 'fatty acid | | | | sufficient to be used as energy, oils and fats. |
| methyl ester'. Which is just a fancy way of saying | | | | Palm oil is eco-friendly as through production: |
| it's a product made from Methanol and an organic | | | | It alleviates global warming, |
| oil with fatty acid chains in it. It is easily made and | | | | It conserves soil and water quality, |
| has many benefits, including environmentally | | | | Its empty fruit bunches, old fronds and palm oil |
| friendlier tailpipe emissions and improved engine | | | | mill effluent are recycled back to the land as |
| performance. | | | | inorganic fertilizers, |
| Biodiesel is actually very simple to make. Anybody | | | | It utilizes positive energy balance, |
| can make biodiesel. It's easy, you can make it in | | | | It uses minimum amount of pesticides, |
| your kitchen -- and it's BETTER than the | | | | Barn owls help control the rodent population in |
| petro-diesel fuel the big oil companies sell you. It is | | | | palm plantations, |
| made by chemically altering the molecular | | | | Its residues and waste materials are used in the |
| structure of any organic oil through the use of a | | | | wood industries, |
| chemical catalyst and an alcohol. | | | | The production of palm kernel cake is used for |
| This is how to make Biodiesel: | | | | animal feed, |
| To do this, oil is simply heated to a designated | | | | No burning is needed in replanting palm trees. |
| temperature (to help with the chemical reaction) | | | | And the end product, biodiesel creates 78% less |
| and then a mixture of catalyst and an alcohol are | | | | carbon dioxide emission, a green house gas that |
| added to the oil. The oil, catalyst, and alcohol | | | | contributes to global warming by preventing some |
| mixture are then mixed for a period of time and | | | | of the sun's radiation from escaping the earth. |
| then allowed to settle. If successful, the chemical | | | | Biodiesel fuel also effectively eliminates sulfur |
| reaction between the oil, alcohol, and the catalyst | | | | oxide and sulfate emissions, which are major |
| will have broken down the oil into several layers. | | | | contributors to acid rain. That's because, unlike |
| The top layer will be biodiesel, chemically called an | | | | petroleum-based diesel fuel, biodiesel is free of |
| Ester, the next layer may contain soap, and the | | | | sulfur impurities. Combustion of biodiesel |
| bottom layer will be glycerine. | | | | additionally provides a 56% reduction in |
| Once the layering has occured, the glycerine and | | | | hydrocarbon emissions and yields significant |
| soap are drained off. The biodiesel is then washed | | | | reductions in carbon monoxide and soot particles |
| with either a mist-wash, a bubble-wash, or both. | | | | compared to petroleum-based diesel fuel. Also, |
| The washing is done to remove any additional | | | | biodiesel can reduce the carcinogenic properties of |
| soap, alcohol, or other impurities in the biodiesel. | | | | diesel fuel by 94%. |
| After it's been washed, it is then dried to remove | | | | Therefore, palm biodiesel brings prosperous future |
| any water. Commonly it is then filtered through | | | | where energy is clean, abundant, reliable and |
| fuel filters and is then ready to be used. | | | | affordable. |