- 1). Pour methanol into your HDPE container using a funnel. Screw the lid back on to prevent the methanol from absorbing moisture from the air. This will interfere with the chemical reactions that you need to take place.
- 2). Measure your potassium hydroxide (lye) and add it to your HDPE container. Quickly replace the lid after adding this ingredient, as lye will take on moisture from the air. When the lid has been screwed on tightly, you need to swirl the bottle to help stimulate the lye to dissolve in the methanol. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.
- 3). Set up your blender to mix your biodiesel. You will want to use a blender that you don’t use anymore for food, or that you don’t mind replacing. Check to make sure the seals on the blender are still good before using it.
- 4). Heat up your vegetable oil to about 130 degrees Fahrenheit and carefully add it to your blender.
- 5). Pour in your chemical mixture contained in your HDPE container. Place the lid back on the blender. Hold it securely and turn the blender on low. Mix for about a half an hour.
- 6). Pour this blended mixture into a 2 liter plastic pop bottle (clean) using a funnel. Screw on the lid and allow the mixture to settle for a bout a day. As the mixture settles you will notice that the bottle contracts. You will need to allow a little air in by loosening the cap and then tightening it again.
- 7). Collect your biodiesel. After about a day, you will notice that your mixture has settled out into two distinct layers. At the bottom of your plastic bottle will be a dark glycerin layer. You don’t want to use this layer. Above the glycerin layer will be a lighter colored fluid. This is your biodiesel.
- 8). Pour the biodiesel into a fuel container, making sure you don’t contaminate your fuel with the darker glycerin.
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