How much of what

[mcrover]

I have read on heaps of sites on the net about making Bio diesel but I want to know for starters:

1.how much BD/L of waste Vegi oil or new vegi oil
2.Can you use New Vegi oil not that Im planning on it I just want to know.
3.How much Methanol and Caustic soda do you use and what PH etc etc

Im interested more in comertial viability of this for use in machinery rather than for personal use.

I also want to find out how much of the specific crops it takes to make the oil.

It isnt for commercial use it is just something that has been floating around in my head for a while and thought I might try to get some answers.

[abaddonxi]

As cheap as chips.:D

I'd do a search for the technical stuff, NSW and Vic have biodiesel user group websites that also have forums.

As far as I know most commercial biodiesel is made from new vegetable oil, and from one article that I read, new Malaysian-rainforest-cleared-pasture vegetable oil that pretty much wipes out most of the environmental goodness of biodiesel.

You can also run straight vegetable oil in your car, although most who do so have a dedicated tank with a pre-heater and a switch to start on diesel or biodiesel then when engine is going switch to straight vegetable oil (svo).

There are hordes of websites out there with recipes and instructions to set up small biodiesel production plants.

Cheers
Simon

[303gunner]

You can use new oil or used oil, using Canola Oil, Sunflowerseed Oil, Peanut oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut oil, etc even animal tallow! As you can see, there is a whole lot of variables here, so there is no hard and fast "One size fits all recipe" for BD. There are specific tests to be done to determine the best proportions of ingredients to acheive the maximum conversion of oil into Methyl Ester.

However, an approximate rule of thumb goes something like this:
1L oil + 200ml Methanol +5g NaOH = 1L Biodiesel + 200ml Glycerol

It's not as simple as chucking it all into a bucket, give it a shake and tip it in your tank. There are tests to be done for pH levels, removal of water, the right temperature, time and filtering. Depending how "used" the oil is (burnt), determines the amount of caustic required. Then at the end of the process, there are steps to remove the unused Methanol and Caustic, and separating the Glycerol. As Simon has said, your car will run on unconverted Veg Oil, but doesn't like Caustic or Methanol, so if you're not too accurate with your measuring, it can be better to under-calculate the amounts reqd, so that not all of the oil converts, but all of the Meth and Caustic is used up.

Sounds complex? Have you seen a step by step description of how to make backyard diesel from crude oil?

[BigNev]

Recently Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has issued a caution regarding backyard attempts to produce biodiesel.
Fire and isolation precautions must be followed carefully, in the interests of safety for the producer and his/her neighbours. Insurance claims may not produce much sympathy in the event of a claim if all directions have not been followed.