How do you make biodiesel out of used cooking oil? What are the ingredients used as well as the procedures?

Question

I'm planning to buy a Mercedes-Benz 300D and I want to use biodiesel to run it. How do I do that?

Additional Details

What are the chemicals used to make biodiesel?

Answer 1

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Unfortuantely, it is a bit more complicated than Marjorie makes it sound. You cannot seperate cooking oil into biodiesel and glycerine buy simply heating it up. Biodiesel is a compound know as methyl-esters or ethyl-esters, the distinction coming from which alcohol you use with your catalyst. In order to produce biodiesel you have to break the chemical bond in the oil. Below I will outline the process. If you want more specifics, please email me and I will be happy to send them to you.

1 Collect used oil
2 dry the oil- Heat to a temperature greater than 212degrees.
3 Titrate the oil. you will need to know the ph of your oil in order to use the right amount of catalyst
4 Mix Methanol or Ethanol with Cataylst (NaOH). Produce Methoxide
5 Mix with oil for aprox 1-2 hrs.
6 pump into seperating tank takes aprox 24 hrs to settle out.
7 pump the biodiesel into a water wash tank. let settle again.
8 pump into storage tank or your fuel tank.

I have been making biodiesel for the past 8 years with various rigs that I have made myself. The simplist was 3) 55 gallon drums, and old water heater and 2) water pumps from habor frieght. I use 100% in my truck and then mix a 55 gallon drum into my heating oil tank.

My final cost per gallon is about $.50 per gallon not counting my labor and the propane I use to dry the oil.

Answer 2

pour the oil (new or used) into a NEW clean hot water heater.
Let it heat and sit for a day or 2.

The oil will separate.
The oil goes to the bottom, the glycerine to the top (or the other way around)
Separate the 2.
Strain the oil thru a filter
You can now use the oil in the PROPERLY ADJUSTED diesel engine.
The glycerine can be sold to a cosmetics co.