Biodiesel is a technology that was introduced for the first time back in 1900, but is now really creating an interest for those of us interested in easing our dependency of foreign oil.
The process of making biodiesel is really quite simple.
All that needs to happen is having an organic matter converted into diesel.
The organic matter can be something as common as vegetable oil or soybean oil.
These can be used as the base organic matter that is converted into biodiesel.
Because of the simplicity of the biodiesel conversion, many people have started to make biodiesel on their own.
This is especially true of farmers who can go through a lot of fuel very quickly.
Many have found that they find a huge savings in fuel costs once they start to make biodiesel.
While it may sound exciting to make your own fuel, I want to caution you that while it is a simple process, it can also be a dangerous process.
Therefore I am telling you that this article contains only information for those who are interested, for the sake of education, in how biodiesel can be made.
If you try anything that is mentioned in this article, you do so at your own risk.
If you are considering making biodiesel you need to be very careful when researching this procedure.
You can hurt yourself and your vehicle if this is done incorrectly.
Therefore, I highly recommend that you take a class in making biodiesel fuel.
Of course you should also follow all safety precautions you learn about in class.
Be aware that there may be some local and state regulations about making your own biodiesel.
These regulations are basically set up so that you have to pay tax on the fuel you make.
After all if they lose the tax money at the pump, you can be sure they will find another way to get it from you.
You will need an organic matter such as vegetable oil or soybean oil to be the base from which the biodiesel is made as well as methanol and caustic soda.
It is a good idea to make a small batch for your first try.
That way you do not have to buy a huge amount of materials.
Start small so you can find out if you really want to go through the trouble of making your biodiesel.
Often methanol can only be found in large quantities so you may need to shop around for a small amount of methanol for your first batch The method is simple.
You just mix the methanol and caustic soda together and then add your organic matter base.
Make sure you are using a strong mixing tank.
After a while you will see a separation occurring.
Skim off the top and what you have is your biodiesel fuel.