making biodiesel w/ethanol ?

[CriticalRick]

I want to know if anyone has a link or any info on making biodiesel w/ethanol instead of methanol. I read some where that it can be done, but it's a little more complex. I have the means to make my own ethanol and it would be less exspensive than buying meth. I,m applying with the ATF for a license to make my still legal.

[Spencnaz]

It can be done, however your return yield will be lower than with methanol.

Chemical purity will be your biggest challenge when running homemade ethanol. Unless you have a reflux still, water contamination will be the deal breaker when using ethanol.

I think there's several threads over at biodiesel.infopop.cc on the subject. For me personally, it's a lot easier just to buy the methanol and measure it out than having to go through another 'brewing' process for ethanol.

Maybe in the future when methanol becomes hard to come by that I'll move to ethanol.

[CriticalRick]

For me brewing anything is my hobby, I brew my own beer (lots of it), I've made a few 5 gal batches of biodiesel, and am collecting parts to build my refux still (I'll build as soon as I get a permit), oh, and tinker on my truck. All while drinking a wonderful home brew. Plus I would like to get a car for the wife and run it on ethanol. So it's worth it to me. To "dry eth. you use water obsorbing pellets (can't remember the name) that would get the mix to something like 99.7. Thanks for the info.

[girlmark]

zeolite 3a are the pellets you'e thinking of.

Biodiesle can be made from ethanol but it's more difficult- you need a cleaner vegetable oil (ie low, low titrating or new oil), and have to make sure there's no water. The process still doesn't always work . Using a blend of ethanol and methanol is a more sure shot.

You have to use KOH also, not NaOH, which won't dissolve easily in ethanol.