Biodiesel, production of biodiesel?The production of biodiesel involves intensively mixing methanol with the oil or fat in the presence of a suitable catalyst, and then allowing the lighter methyl ester phase to separate by gravity from the heavier glycerol phase. However, as with most organic reactions the degree of conversion depends on the equilibrium reached as well as the influence of other reactions. Achieving product quality is very important. Biodiesel is a clean burning diesel fuel replacement made from natural, renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats. It will run in any diesel engine with no modifications and can be mixed with regular diesel fuel in any ratio. Biodiesel is non toxic and biodegradable. It can be made by nearly anyone in a simple process using equipment available from this web site.What equipment do I need to make biodiesel?

To produce biodiesel you need the following:3 ingredients:  all vegetable oils, new or used, animal and fats are OK, methanol and NaOH, shelter, electricity and water A reactor tank where your VEG OIL is mixed with the methoxide. This creates a chemical proces where you create biodiesel and crude glycerin. A Methoxide tank where your methanol is mixed with your NaOH A settling tank where your biodiesel is seperated from your crude glycerin A storage tank for your feedstock A storage tank for your methanol A storage tank for your finished biodiesel A storage tanks for your crude glycerin A pump to pump feedstock into reactor, methanol into reactor and all the other streams. A Settling & Washing Tank Depending on the feedstock possibly a degumming tank.

What is EN12142 or ASTM Standard D6751. To make sure all biodiesel is the same, so that legislation is easy and manufacturers of cars as well as customers know what to expect there exists some standards for Biodiesel. The most well known is the European standard EN14124 and the American ASTM D671 standard. Is the biodiesel ok for my car, agricultural machine, generator, etc?Please inform the manufacturer of your car, agricultural machine, generator, etc. Most diesel cars and machines build after 1995 are able to drive on 100% biodiesel. Since biodiesel is also a very good cleaning agent it is best to start using it in diesel engines little by little. If you would drive immediately on 100% biodiesel danger exists that all dirt in the motor is cleaned away in one time blocking your motor filters. Therefore start by mixing 5% biodiesel into your diesel, next time, 10% and go up like that. Do I need to do any modifications to my car or truck to run biodiesel?On any vehicle newer than 1995, no modifications are necessary. Some vehicles older than 10 years old have rubber fuel lines, which will be degraded over time by biodiesel. Just replace these with current synthetic fuel lines, and you're done. We also recommend that you replace your fuel filter after your first tank of biodiesel, since biodiesel is a very good solvent and will scrub out all the tars, varnishes, and gums left by fossil diesel in your fuel system.What are the regulations regarding storing methanol and biodiesel?If you treat your barrels of methanol and biodiesel as you would treat barrels of gasoline or petrol, you'll be safe. Check with your local fire station chief about your local safety regulations for storing gasoline (such as for use with an emergency generator).Can I use my biodiesel for other diesel fueled devices, such as home heating oil furnaces?Biodiesel can be safely used in ANY device which can use 2 diesel fuel or home heating oil, including cars, trucks, tractors, generators, pumps, heaters and home furnaces.Can I mix my biodiesel with regular petroleum diesel?You can mix biodiesel in ANY ratio, back and forth, with no problems.How safe is biodiesel to handle? What about spillsBiodiesel is non-toxic, fully biodegradable, and safer to store than petro-diesel.How long can I store biodiesel?Biodiesel can be stored for years provided that it is kept free of condensation and bacteriological growths (just add a common diesel biocide).How can I verify that the biodiesel I make is safe enough to use in my diesel engine?First, the biodiesel/glycerin should have a very clean and distinct separation without a third layer. Second, doing a simple "mixability" test of your biodiesel with an equal amount of water in a jar to see how fast the biodiesel separates from the water will give a very sensitive indication of how pure it is.Will my biodiesel void my diesel engine's warranty?Most major diesel vehicle manufacturers have already acknowledged that biodiesel will NOT void your warranty. Check with your dealer or diesel mechanic for further details. Companies such as Cummins, Caterpillar, and John Deere have extensively tested biodiesel and are strong supporters.

What kind of power differences are there between diesel fuel and biodiesel?

Tests have shown biodiesel to provide similar power and performance as diesel fuel.

Does biodiesel work in cold weather?

The cold weather properties of biodiesel depend largely on the type of oil used to make it. Using canola oil or soy oil and a minor blend of regular diesel fuel, it is possible to run biodiesel in very cold weather.

What should I do during cold weather?

Pure biodiesel (B100) will gel in cold weather. When the temperature is above freezing, 32 F, you can generally run B100. When the temperature drops below freezing, you should do one or more of the following: use Technol biodiesel flow improver; physically warm the fuel using tank, fuel line and/or filter heaters, or park your vehicle in a warm place at night; blend with  1 and/or 2 normal-diesel. Generally, a blend of 50/50 biodiesel and normal-diesel will flow down to 0 F. A blend of 50/50 biodiesel and # 2 petro-diesel with the correct anti-gel will also flow down to 0 F.

Several factors can have an influence on the cloud, cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and gel point of your biodiesel, as well as the flow in your vehicle. These factors include: saturation level and type of the veggie oil the biodiesel was made from, whether anti-gel was added to the biodiesel and/or the petro-diesel mix, size of fuel lines, amount of warm fuel returned by your vehicle to the fuel tank, size and placement of fuel filter on your vehicle, whether your vehicle has a fuel pre-heater, etc.It is better to be safe than sorry concerning gelling and use extra petro-diesel in the blend. A B20 blend will generally gel at a very similar rate as the petro-diesel it is blended with, including any anti-gel agent.Can this all be done easier.YES heres a link to the best plan we have it includes 4 recipee,s

2 none methanol easy meathods and two methanol along with some other variations.

Many people "winterize" their biodiesel by placing a drum of it outside during cold temperatures and then drawing off the top of the drum. The lighter weight "winter" biodiesel will be on the top while the heavier "summer" biodiesel goes to the bottom of the drum.We recommend, use and sell Technol Biodiesel Flow Improver. We also recommend and use  anti-gel additives when blending normal-diesel with biodiesel. We also recommend brand products if you decide to heat your vehicle's fuel system. Please email if you have more questions concerning cold weather use and visit the  SHOP page to purchase Biodiesel plan guide how to.HEREs the  £14 plan for best methods    have a look they  aslo have 9 minute video on bio makeing with this plan.

What is degumming and why is it necessary?

Crude Palm and Soya oil contains about 1-3% phospholipids. This phospholipid portion is also referred to as gums. If these gums are not removed from the crude oil they will precipitate and form a sludge in the storage tanks. To remove the phospholipids, 1-3% water and acid are added to the crude oil. Once the gums are hydrated, they are separated from the oil by centrifugation or settlinig tanks.

The separated phospholipid portion is made up of three chemical forms of lecithins. These lecithins can be further refined and used in food and industrial applications. The predominant lecithin, phosphatidylcholine, is used extensively throughout the food industry as an emulsifier or wetting agent. Phosphatidylserine is gaining popularity in the health food industry for its reported benefits to memory function.

What is neutralizing and why is it necessary?

When free fatty acid content is higher then 4% too much ffa will react with the methanol and cataclyst NaOH and form soap. You don't want this soap as it means less biodiesel and more waste. To bring the ffa content down you will add another process before the transesterification takes place. We call this the 2 fase process approach.

Starting up a biodiesel refinery - Business Plan Questions

How much will the supplies cost and where can I get them?

Used liquid cooking oil can be found for free from your local restaurants. You want oil that is liquid at room temperature when new. If unable to find, call recycling companies or the companies that supply the restaurants with new vegetable oil. They might sell it to you for 20-35 eurocents per litter. Methanol can be purchased from chemical supply companies, racing suppliers, bulk oil suppliers and even farmer’s co-ops. Lye in USA is commonly known as caustic soda in the UK or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and can be purchased as Red Devil Lye or in bulk bags from chemical supply companies.

Used Cooking Oil or animal fat is the cheapest source to go for.

How much will I have to pay for used cooking oil?

In most cases a restaurant will be happy to simply give you their used oil, since they would otherwise have to pay to dispose of it.

What happens when all the free used oil is gobbled up by others?

It is best to establish a good working relationship with the restaurant(s) you are collecting from. After a good relationship has been established, you may want to draw up a simple, long-term collection contract with the restaurant owner/manager.Just to stop somebody else takeing a supply you relly apon?

How can I tell whether the oil I plan to use is suitable for making biodiesel?

The two most important factors are water content and Free-Fatty Acids (FFA) from animal fats or over-use of oil. Water content can be checked by simply boiling a sample of oil in a frying pan and looking for bubbles from the evaporating water (bad oil: either don't use or dry thoroughly). FFA content can be checked first by simply asking what's been cooked in the oil, then doing a simple pH test to see how heavily used it is.

Is there a hierarchy of preference for used vegetable oil?

Yes, oil which has been used to cook: 1) only vegetables (fries, tempura, etc.); 2) fish; 3) chicken; 4) beef and pork. For the best quality biodiesel, avoid oils mixed with lard, tallow, grill scrapings, or any other waste animal fat.

Why does each batch require a different amount of chemicals (titration)?

Different oils will have a different amount of Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) in them (based on how extensively they're used). These acids must be neutralized, and additional catalyst must be added to make the biodiesel reaction happen. It's an easy test, but a very important one to get the best results.

How much methanol should I use?

A: The more methanol you use the better and easier the reaction will go. The trade off is the more methanol you use, the more is wasted. The actual reaction only uses about 10% methanol. Large biodiesel refineries flood the reaction with up to 35% methanol, then recover the excess through high pressure and heat extraction. We don’t have that ability, so we look for a happy medium. We think 20% is the minimum to use and would recommend 22% for a more stable reaction. It’s been pretty well tested by the homebrew community. You can use our Titration Calculator to find out how much Methanol and Catalyst to use.

Do I have to pay fuel tax if I make my own biodiesel?

This depends on your country. In Germany driving on 100%, pure biodiesel is tax free. In the USA the IRS has an exclusion from fuel excise taxes for small scale blenders who produce less than 400 %gallons per calendar quarter. Other countries you have to declare it and pay takes on the number of litters biodiesel you will use. Check your local authorities for more information.

Is it legal to store the chemicals at my house that are required to make biodiesel.

It's important to check your local country,s laws. In some cases it may be necessary to buy methanol in smaller quantities than 55 gallon drums to comply with local requirements.

Is there a simple way to purify the raw glycerin to the point where it becomes marketable?You have to raise the temperature VERY high, and perform special processes to get market-grade glycerin.

How do I get rid of all the glycerin I'll be accumulating from making biodiesel?

You have several choices: 1) evaporate the methanol and compost the rest; 2) recover the methanol and compost the rest; 3) recover the methanol and purify the glycerin, then compost the rest; 4) use it as a shop cleaner and degreaser.

Is there a simple way to recover some of the methanol used in the process?

You can use a pressure-cooker with a condenser to collect boiled methanol. Recovery is about 20% of what you used in your last batch of biodiesel.

What can go wrong in making biodiesel?

The two most common mistakes are: a) using the wrong amount of lye, and b) excessive agitating of the water during the biodiesel wash cycle. Both of these mistakes can be easily avoided with simple procedures and modest attention to details.

Diagnosing a problem batch is fairly simple, but recovering the batch may be difficult.

STICKING TO THE  ADVISE IN THE PLAN is one way to make sure you get it right......... try it here get plan here or just browse and learn more.

Thanks for reading. eamil me if theres something you think i should cover in this guide and please rate it.