Important Notice: Our web hosting provider recently started charging us for additional visits, which was unexpected. In response, we're seeking donations. Depending on the situation, we may explore different monetization options for our Community and Expert Contributors. It's crucial to provide more returns for their expertise and offer more Expert Validated Answers or AI Validated Answers. Learn more about our hosting issue here.

What the heck is transesterfication?

April 26, 2017heck

0

Posted

What the heck is transesterfication?

1 Answer

0

Posted

This is the chemical process that your oil must go through to end up as biodiesel. This process involves an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (sodium or potassium hydroxide) which break down the fatty acids. Your oil is made up of fatty acids connected to a glycerin molecule. Transesterfication forms biodiesel and glycerin because the alcohol replaces the glycerin molecule in the oil. The technical definition of biodiesel is fatty acid methyl ester, transforming one type of ester into another.