How is biodiesel made?
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products — methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).
Biodiesel is made through a process called Transesterification. Our book fully explains this process. But here’s a simplified diagram & Explanation. The first part shows the simplified version of a Tri-glyceride molecule with a glycerin molecule with 3 Long chain fatty acid molecules attached to that. When we introduce the key elements to making biodiesel which is HEAT, QUALITY used or new oil, Proper Agitation & the Methanol & Catlyst mixture, (commonly called methoxide), we can break the molecule down. But it doesn’t always break down completely right away. So the second part shows ONE of the fatty acid molecules being broken off. At that time a methanol molecule attaches to it and forms Biodiesel. But you are now left with a DI-Glyceride as shown in the second picture. With the correct processor you will break off another fatty acid molecule and make another Biodiesel molecule. You are now left with a MONO-glyceride. If you break the last fatty acid molecule off you now have 3 molec
Biodiesel fuel can be made from new or used vegetable oils and animal fats, which are nontoxic, biodegradable, renewable resources. Fats and oils are chemically reacted with an alcohol (usually methanol) to produce chemical compounds known as fatty acid methyl esters, which is the chemical name for biodiesel. Glycerin is the byproduct of this process.
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products — mono-alkyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).
It is created in a process called transesterification. Green Technologies uses waste vegetable oil (WVO) as a starting material, but virgin oil (VO) can also be used. The oil is mixed at warm temperatures with methanol and potassium hydroxide. The oil molecules are broken into four pieces- three methyl esters (the biodiesel) and one glycerol molecule. These are then separated. The photo on the left is WVO-biodiesel (left) and VO-biodiesel (right). The color of the WVO product varies from batch to batch and is generally darker than VO-derived biodiesel. The photo on the right is the “glycerol layer” from a WVO reaction, which contains glycerol, water, some fatty acids, salts, excess methanol and the bulk of the burned bits from the WVO starting material.
