Just think of some reasons why you should consider biodiesel in your life and you’ll come up with many reasons why you should also think about learning to make homemade biodiesel. Don’t ditch your New Year’s resolution already! We surely have not forgotten that awful spike in gasoline prices a year or so ago, have we? Let’s try and control our lives so that we don’t remain slaves to external forces, be they individual organisations, governments or foreign countries.
While everyone else around us may appear to be selfish or consumed by their own issues, even if this is not the case, we should ensure that we individually take action to protect our planet. Individuals can make a difference and as our transportation methods account for a sizeable part of greenhouse gas emissions, if (as most people) you need a vehicle to get around, consider fuelling it with biodiesel or at least a blend.
Making biodiesel is not as complicated as you might think. In short, you need to engage a process called transesterification. You need to take vegetable or animal oils and fats, also known as triglycerides and extract the glycerine. A catalyst, which in this case is lye, helps to combine the remaining fatty acids to create the biodiesel.
A system allowing you to make bio diesel can be established at relatively low cost. Nor do you have to be a chemist or have the entire volunteer fire department on standby as you experiment! It is advised that you start out in a small way and see how you progress. It’s perfectly feasible for you to make biodiesel fuel for your vehicle and those of your family and save good amounts of money from your annual budget.
Some of the basic chemicals that you will need when making biodiesel fuel include methanol. You will need virtually pure methanol for this to be effective. Although it is derived from a fossil fuel and thus contributory to global warming problems, it’s used in much lower quantities. In terms of emissions, you will definitely be making a difference versus petroleum or petro diesel. Don’t forget to protect the catalyst from the atmosphere as it can absorb moisture quickly. Look for potassium hydroxide or caustic soda and remember not to breathe the fumes or get lye on your skin, due to its caustic nature.
To start off with you can select over-the-counter canola oil or even sunflower oil. In addition to the methanol and the caustic soda you will need a blender, accurate measuring scales and receptacles, a suitably constructed container (look for the #2 designation on the underside of the container), two different funnels, a large bottle for the settling process, a separate bottle for washing and a thermometer.
Now you have everything you need to start and can begin your journey toward efficiency! With so much to gain, not only ecologically, but also financially and politically, what could be the reason – or reasons, why it’s taking such an incredibly long period of time to make this extraordinary change for the better, for all of us, not just now, but for all of the future generations which will follow as well?
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