How To Make Pop Bottle Biodiesel

There was a time when the cost of diesel fuel was lower than gasoline. Sadly, this is no longer the case. This has caused many people to look for alternatives. One of the most popular alternatives out there is biodiesel. One of the misconceptions of biodiesel is that it will not work properly in diesel engines. The fact is that Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine in 1898 specifically to run on biodiesel. His main buyers of the engine were farmers and this was one of his main selling points. Farmers no longer needed to purchase fuel for the farm equipment they simply could grow their own.
the process to make pop bottle biodiesel is quite simple. You will need lye, methanol, and vegetable oil. For equipment you will need a glass container, that can hold 250 milliliters of methanol, with a non aluminum lid, a funnel, measering spoons, a heat source, a thermometer, and of course a two liter pop bottle.
First, you will want to make sure you are in a well ventilated area. You are dealing with fuel here and fumes can be a dangerous side effect. Wear all of your safety gear such as glasses and gloves. Make sure all of the equipment you are using is clean. The last thing you want to do is contaminate the fuel with outside particles that could have been easily disposed of with a little soap and water.
Now that you have all of your ingredients, equiptment, and work space ready lets make some biodiesel. Place 1/2 teaspoon of lye into the container holding the 250 ml of methanol. Seal the bottle and gently swirl the combination until the lye is completely dissolved. Set the lye methanol combonation to the side. Heat four cups of vegetable oil over your heat source until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Use the funnel to pour the heated oil into your two liter bottle. Once all of the oil is in the bottle add the lye methanol mixture to the oil. Place the cap back on the bottle as tight as you can and shake the bottle as hard as you can for approximately twenty seconds. You will see a darker liquid form on the bottom of the bottle and a lighter liquid form at the top. This is called transesterification. This is the actual chemical process that makes the biodiesel. The final ingredient is patients. Store the bottle away in a safe place for three days. When the entire bottle becomes clear enough to see through then you know the diesel is ready.
As you can see the steps in this process are easy enough. You can buy the ingredients in bulk or just use what you have around the house. It is a great way to become energy independent or just keep some emergency fuel around when you need it. It is always better to know how making your own fuel even if you don’t use it all the time.