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Thread: simple bio-diesel?

  1. #1
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    simple bio-diesel?

    is there a really simple way to make bio-diesel? I have read many threads on bio-diesel and do not like most of the methods involved. surely there is a simple, proven catalyst that can be added to wvo to make it suitable for your diesel engine. not interested in chemistry sets, heaters, multiple filters, just a pure simple additive to make wvo work well in a diesel engine. I can clean the wvo, thats simple. I have heard, but have no conclusive evidence that white spirits will work.....same as KoH and ethanol....I can get ethanol easily, but where do I find KoH(potassium hydroxide)? what I'm really asking here is to hear something from the horses mouth.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramblingboy42 View Post
    is there a really simple way to make bio-diesel? I have read many threads on bio-diesel and do not like most of the methods involved. surely there is a simple, proven catalyst that can be added to wvo to make it suitable for your diesel engine. not interested in chemistry sets, heaters, multiple filters, just a pure simple additive to make wvo work well in a diesel engine. I can clean the wvo, thats simple. I have heard, but have no conclusive evidence that white spirits will work.....same as KoH and ethanol....I can get ethanol easily, but where do I find KoH(potassium hydroxide)? what I'm really asking here is to hear something from the horses mouth.
    You want METHANOL, not ethanol. You can use NaOH - available anywhere, or KOH - readily available from chemical suppliers.

    There are researchers who have looked at transesterification without catalysts in microreactors, but that sort of technology is not yet proven and out of the reach of the backyarder.

    It sounds as if you should look at straight SVO/WVO. Just filter it and put it in your tank - though you need to first install a 2nd tank and heat exchangers in your vehicle.

  3. #3
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    NaOH?....available anywhere....common name?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ramblingboy42 View Post
    NaOH?....available anywhere....common name?
    Sodium Hydroxide AKA Caustic Soda - Bunnings, pool chemical suppliers, etc, etc...

    (but if you want it cheap you will need to go to an industrial chemnical supplier and buy in bulk - same as with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH))

  5. #5
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    I was given a recipe 4gm koh : 250ml ethanol (diggers metho)/ltr wvo, mix at 55c then filter @ 1mic
    can I use caustic soda in lieu of potassium hydroxide? does it matter if methanol/ethanol?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ramblingboy42 View Post
    I was given a recipe 4gm koh : 250ml ethanol (diggers metho)/ltr wvo, mix at 55c then filter @ 1mic
    can I use caustic soda in lieu of potassium hydroxide? does it matter if methanol/ethanol?
    Read here:
    Making Biodiesel from Waste Vegetable Oil - Bio Fuels Forums

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    I've been running my D1 on a WVO duel tank system for more than 30 000km without ever trying to make bio-diesel or using white spirit. You just need to filter the oil and add a second set of fuel lines with a heat exchanger for the WVO. There are a couple of other things like changing your engine oil and fuel filters every 5000km (and the mess in the garage from the oil spills). It really is that easy.
    Making bio-diesel is dirty, dangerous and time consuming.

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    I have run a vehicle on straight wvo.It was a 4wd truck with a 2h motor. I was using both oil and then fat. Veg oil is good but I found a couple of problems with it. One was it could have been used to stick the tiles to the space shuttle. Spill it on any thing you wish it to come of, yeah right. Two it will form a algae in your tank if the conditions are right. Warm and dark. So if you run a tank heater as I did you grew algae. A reddish brown growth. Apart from those minor problems it was ok. Now fat. Or in my case a soft lard like fat,almost melted at room temp. You also have more hassles before you get to the tank. To filter it you need to melt it, to put in your vehicle tank you need to melt it. After pumping it through a filter you need to clean the pump, filter and hoses. The vehicle tank needs to be heated and you need to run a fat only heated fuel line up to the motor and close as possible to the injector pump a tank selector valve. I was lucky that the 2H does not return any fuel to the tank,recirculates at the pump. The only good thing with fat is it does not grow algae like the veg oil. But it does expand a lot more when it is heated so you need to alow for that when filling a tank.And straight veg or fat rely on a fairly high iodine level ( what gives bio fuel it`s bang) Veg oils seems to be of a fairly consistent quality for its iodine level, but fat or at least the stuff I was using was a bit hit and miss. One tank it would run ok and next it would run like a dog. Both veg oil and fat must be purged from the injector pump before you stop for a length of time that allows the oil or fat to solidify. You can tow start a veg oil filled motor, not real good for it though. You are in more trouble with fat. I`m considering making bio fuel because of the hassles associated with straight veg oil or fat. I would not use striaght veg or fat of road because of the chance of the motor stopping for a while. But as it has been noted making bio is a hassle as well, but only in the making stage, not in the usage stage.
    Do remember some classic moments when running on bio and dogs going ape over the smell and people at lite`s madly winding there windows up when I pulled up next to them. The oil smelt not to bad at all. That fat was a bit like off meat, not so good, so can understand the reaction I got from other motorists.
    Cheers Hall

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hall View Post
    I have run a vehicle on straight wvo.It was a 4wd truck with a 2h motor. I was using both oil and then fat. Veg oil is good but I found a couple of problems with it. One was it could have been used to stick the tiles to the space shuttle. Spill it on any thing you wish it to come of, yeah right. Two it will form a algae in your tank if the conditions are right. Warm and dark. So if you run a tank heater as I did you grew algae. A reddish brown growth. Apart from those minor problems it was ok. Now fat. Or in my case a soft lard like fat,almost melted at room temp. You also have more hassles before you get to the tank. To filter it you need to melt it, to put in your vehicle tank you need to melt it. After pumping it through a filter you need to clean the pump, filter and hoses. The vehicle tank needs to be heated and you need to run a fat only heated fuel line up to the motor and close as possible to the injector pump a tank selector valve. I was lucky that the 2H does not return any fuel to the tank,recirculates at the pump. The only good thing with fat is it does not grow algae like the veg oil. But it does expand a lot more when it is heated so you need to alow for that when filling a tank.And straight veg or fat rely on a fairly high iodine level ( what gives bio fuel it`s bang) Veg oils seems to be of a fairly consistent quality for its iodine level, but fat or at least the stuff I was using was a bit hit and miss. One tank it would run ok and next it would run like a dog. Both veg oil and fat must be purged from the injector pump before you stop for a length of time that allows the oil or fat to solidify. You can tow start a veg oil filled motor, not real good for it though. You are in more trouble with fat. I`m considering making bio fuel because of the hassles associated with straight veg oil or fat. I would not use striaght veg or fat of road because of the chance of the motor stopping for a while. But as it has been noted making bio is a hassle as well, but only in the making stage, not in the usage stage.
    Do remember some classic moments when running on bio and dogs going ape over the smell and people at lite`s madly winding there windows up when I pulled up next to them. The oil smelt not to bad at all. That fat was a bit like off meat, not so good, so can understand the reaction I got from other motorists.
    Cheers Hall
    Many people run return lines when using WVO and have no problem with "algae". It is common knowledge in the WVO community that if you use a steel tank you will have this problem. If you run the WVO in a plastic tank there is no problem (ever).
    There have been many thousands of vehicle conversions performed without issue including heavy machinery. You just have to do the research.

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