Maria Alovert “Girl Mark” Biodiesel Homebrew Guide www.localb100.com

What is Biodiesel? Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Why Use Biodiesel? Biodiesel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel. It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. Since it is made in the USA from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to our own economy.

How is Biodiesel Made? Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification The process seperates glycerin out of the vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products -- 1. methyl esters (biodiesel) 2. glycerin

Biodiesel Feedstocks In the United States, most biodiesel is made from soybean oil or recycled cooking oils. Animals fats, other vegetable oils, and other recycled oils can also be used to produce biodiesel, depending on their costs and availability. In the future, blends of all kinds of fats and oils may be used to produce biodiesel.

Feedstock's Source of biodiesel fuel from plants or animals Oil Palm African palm Palm oil and palm kernel oil Extracted from fleshy outside Coconut South America and tropical areas Coconut meat is peeled from the husk, dried in the sun, and pressed Jatropha Americas A bush that produces a seed Seed is crushed for oil Rapeseed/ Canola Canada, Germany, Russia – colder regions Yellow flowering oil crop Peanut South America – warm Sandy soil Sunflower North America Squeezed from seeds Safflower India, Egypt, and Persia Thistle-like plant Yellow/orange flower Soybean East Asia and USA High protein bean Hemp Russia, China, and Asia Illegal to grow in USA Corn Use the oil and grain for food Algae NREL have cultivated algae to produce oil Could provide enough oil to meet all of the diesel fuel needs of the US

Steps to Making Biodiesel Fuel Gather Materials Perform a Titration Process the Biodiesel Fuel Quality Test the Fuel Wash the Fuel

Vegetable Oil Molecule Triglyceride 3 Fatty acids (esters) 1 Glycerol

Transesterification Trans-ester-ification Transformation of one ester into another type of ester In the vegetable oil molecule we will remove the glycerin and replace it with an alcohol from methanol Requires a catalyst to start the reaction Thus, transforming it

Catalyst A substances added to VO to crack the glycerin off the molecule This catalyst initiates a chemical reaction

Catalyst Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) or Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) A powdery or grainy solid; Basic (pH) Dangerous, can damage skin, eyes

Titration Must titrate is using waste vegetable This process determines how much catalyst is needed to neutralize the free fatty acids in used vegetable oil.

How to perform a Titration Procedure 1. Dissolve 1 gram of catalyst into 1 liter of distilled water 2. Dissolve 1 mL of VO into 10 mL of rubbing alcohol and add a pinch of Tumeric spice in a beaker (should be yellow color) 3. Put the catalyst/water solution into the medicine dropper 4. Place the 11 mL beaker of VO/alcohol under the medicine dropper 5. Drop 1 mL of catalyst/water into VO/alcohol very slowly 6. Continue to add drops of catalyst/water solution until the oil/alcohol solutions changes color * Add very slowly and carefully (from yellow to red) 7. Note how many ml of catalyst you added into VO/alcohol 8. Use the following equation: X = the number of mL of catalyst/water solution dropped L = the number of grams of catalyst necessary to neutralize and react one liter of used vegetable oil What is X?________________ Add: L = X + 8grams

Grams of catalyst = X + 8grams Titration Formula Grams of catalyst = X + 8grams

Titration Materials Isopropyl Alcohol Tumeric Spice KOH (catalyst) Water Waste VO Toothpick Medicine Droppers Measuring cups Balance

Titration Step 1 Collect Waste Vegetable Oil from a restaurant Measure 1 liter of WVO Put into a 2 liter pop bottle

Titration Step 2 Heat 1 liter of WVO before titration

Titration Step 3 Mixture of KOH + Water You will put this in the medicine dropper or burette

Titration KOH dropper Use to draw KOH solution

Titration Step 4 Fill a syringe with 4 ml of KOH and water

Titration Step 5 Make a of warm Oil and rubbing alcohol 10 ml alcohol 1 ml waste VO

Titration Step 6 Wait until KOH is dissolved in water Slowly add drops to oil/alcohol mixture Wait for a color change

Titration Starting color with tumeric spice is yellow

Titration Adding KHO solution to oil/alcohol mixture Looking for color change

Titration Step 7 Keep adding KOH and water until there is a complete change to red

Titration Step 8 Color has changed from yellow to red Tumeric is an indicator The red color is indicating the solution is now basic STOP

Titration Step 9 Determine how many ml of KOH/water was dropped into oil Convert this number of ml into grams Repeat 2 more times

Titration Step 10 Weighing out KOH Must measure 8 grams + amount from titration

Titration Notes This was a test to look for FFA or free fatty acids FFA react with catalyst to make soaop We detect soap with an indicator, tumeric spice We look for a color change

Indicator A pH indicator is a weak acids or bases. When introduced into an acidic or basic solution, they may causes the indicator's color to change.

Indicator Low pH color Transition pH range High pH color Gentian violet (Methyl violet) yellow 0.0–2.0 blue-violet Leucomalachite green (first transition) green Thymol blue (first transition) red 1.2–2.8 Methyl yellow 2.9–4.0 Bromophenol blue 3.0–4.6 purple Congo red 3.0–5.0 Methyl orange 3.1–4.4 Bromocresol green 3.8–5.4 blue-green Methyl red 4.4–6.2 Azolitmin 4.5–8.3 blue Bromocresol purple 5.2–6.8 Bromothymol blue 6.0–7.6 Phenol red 6.8–8.4 Neutral red 6.8–8.0 Naphtholphthalein colorless to reddish 7.3–8.7 greenish to blue Cresol Red 7.2–8.8 reddish-purple Thymol blue (second transition) 8.0–9.6 Phenolphthalein colorless 8.2–10.0 pink Thymolphthalein 9.3–10.5 Alizarine Yellow R 10.2–12.0 Leucomalachite green (second transition) 11.6–14