Maa Durga Ji Senior Secondary Vidyalaya
CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
➢Biodiesel Formation
NAME: HIMANSHU SHUKLA
CLASS: 12th - A
ROLL NO:
CONTENT
Certificate 1
Acknowledgement 2
AIM 3
Introductions 4
Uses of Biodiesels 5
Preparations of Biodiesels 6
Procedure 7
Reactions Involved 8
Biodiesel Fuel Features 9
Disadvantages of Biodiesel 10
Bibliography
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Maa Durga Ji Senior Secondary Vidyalaya
CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT HIMANSHU
SHUKLA STUDENT OF CLASS 12th A HAS
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE
PROJECT UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF "Mr.
DP SIR" DURING THE YEAR "2025-2026" IN
PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF CHEMISTRY
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER
SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
PRINCIPAL SIGNATURE
1
Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude
to my teacher who gave me the golden opportunity to
do this wonderful project on the topic "Biodiesel
Formation " which also helped me in doing a lot of
research and I came to know about so many things.
2
AIM
To study the formation of biodiesel from
vegetable oil using a transesterification
process and to analyze its efficiency and
potential as a sustainable and eco-friendly
alternative to fossil diesel.
3
Introduction to Biodiesel Formation
Biodiesel is an alternative, renewable fuel
derived from natural sources such as vegetable
oils and animal fats. With increasing energy
demands and depletion of fossil fuel reserves, it
has become crucial to find sustainable sources of
energy. Biodiesel is one such promising candidate
due to its biodegradability, non-toxic nature, and
lower emissions of greenhouse gases.
The process of biodiesel formation involves
transesterification, where triglycerides in oils/fats
react with alcohol (commonly methanol or
ethanol) in the presence of a catalyst (usually
sodium or potassium hydroxide) to produce
methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol as a by-
product.
Due to the global energy crisis, environmental
concerns, and fluctuating crude oil prices, the
study and development of biodiesel as a green
fuel are more relevant than ever.
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Uses of Biodiesels
Major Uses of Biodiesel:
1. Transportation Sector:
• Biodiesel is widely used as a fuel for diesel engines in cars, buses, trucks,
and other vehicles.
• It is often used in blends such as B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% diesel), B20, and
even B100 (pure biodiesel).
2. Agriculture and Farming Equipment:
• Tractors, harvesters, irrigation pumps, and other diesel-powered agricultural
machines can run efficiently on biodiesel, reducing environmental impact in
rural areas.
3. Public Transportation and Fleets:
• Many municipalities use biodiesel for school buses, garbage trucks, and
public transport fleets to lower emissions and promote green practices.
4. Power Generation:
• Biodiesel is used in diesel generators as a backup or off-grid power source,
especially in remote or eco-sensitive areas.
5. Marine Industry:
• Boats and ships use biodiesel to minimize water pollution and reduce the
environmental footprint of maritime operations.
6. Industrial Machinery:
• Used in construction and mining equipment as a cleaner alternative to
conventional diesel fuels.
7. Heating Applications:
• Biodiesel can be used as a replacement for heating oil in boilers and
furnaces for domestic and commercial heating.
8. Lubricants and Solvents:
• Due to its excellent lubricating properties, biodiesel is also used as an
additive to improve engine life and efficiency.
• It is also used as a biodegradable solvent in industrial cleaning applications.
9. Environmental Remediation:
• In some cases, biodiesel has been tested as a non-toxic cleaning agent for
oil spills and contaminated soil due to its biodegradability. 5
Instructions to Prepare Bio-Diesel
Requirements:
-Vegetable Oil
- Antifreeze (Methanol)
- Lye (NaOH)
- Blender
- Scales
- Plastic Containers
- Funnels
- Plastic Bottle with lid
- Duct Tape
- Thermometer
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Procedure
The steps involved:
Step 1 1
Measure out 200 ml of
antifreeze and put it in one
plastic container. 2 Step 2
Step 2: Add in lye so that the
antifreeze is absorbed.
Step 3 3
Cover container and mix well
by shaking it. It is mixed when
it starts to feel warm and is 4 Step 4
foamy. The mixture has now Blend 1 liter of vegetable oil
become sodium methoxide. with the sodium methoxide
in a blender for 20 minutes.
Step 5 5
Pour mixture into a bottle
and wait 8 hours until the
byproduct, glycerin, separates
from the biodiesel. The Step 6
6
glycerin will be the solid on Separate out the biodiesel by
the bottom. pouring into a glass bottle.
Step 7 7
Prepare a wash bottle by
poking a small hole in the
corner of the bottle and 8 Step 8
covering it with duct tape. Wash the biodiesel by
pouring it into the wash
Step 9 9 bottle and adding in
Repeat the washing process until the ½ a liter of water. Roll the
biodiesel is clear. This may need to be bottle around to mix it and
done numerous times over the course then remove the duct tape
of a week to complete the process. and drain the water.
Store the biodiesel in a glass container
until ready to use.
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Bio-Diesel Reactions
Animal & plant fats & oils are typically made of
triglycerides, which are esters of free fatty acids
with the trihydric alcohol, glycerol. In the
transesterification process, the alcohol is
deprotonated with a base to make it a stronger
nucleophile. Commonly, ethanol or methanol is
used. As can be seen, the reaction has no other
inputs than the triglyceride & the alcohol.
Normally, this reaction will proceed either
exceedingly slowly or not at all. Heat, as well as an
acid or base, are used to help the reaction occur
more quickly.
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Biodiesel Fuel Features
Power: One of the major advantages is the fact that it can be used in existing engines &
fuel injection equipment (no modification required) without negative impact to
operating performance.
Fuel availability/economy: Virtually the same MPG ratings as petroleum diesel fuel for
highway vehicles; no retraining; no special dispensing & storage equipment.
Production/Refining: Can be done at home (wasted vegie oil) & farms (virgin oils from
seeds), being the only alternative fuel that can boast of a zero total emissions
production facility. By selling the simultaneously produced glycerin, the cost of B.D is
almost the same as the oil used to make it.
Storage: Readily blends & stays blended with petroleum diesel fuel. Can be stored &
dispensed wherever diesel is stored. Combustibility/Safety: Biodiesel has a very high
flash point (300°F) making it one of the safest of all alternative fuels. Lubricity: The only
alternative fuel that can actually extend engine life because of its superior lubricating &
cleaning properties. The present “low Sulphur” diesel fuel is badly wearing the
injection pumps of not protected diesel engines.
Usage: Biodiesel fuel can generally be used in existing oil heating systems and diesel
engines without modification, and it can be distributed through existing diesel fuel
pumps. Biodiesel performs more like the energy per gallon as petroleum diesel.
Environmental Impact: The use of biodiesel reduces the following emissions: carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, hazardous diesel particulate, acid rain–
causing Sulphur dioxide, lifecycle and carbon dioxide. Bio Diesel is much cleaner fuel
than any conventional fossil/fuel petroleum diesel. It burns up to 75% cleaner
hydrocarbons to lower greenhouse gases than any other petroleum fuel. It’s nontoxic
and biodegradable. It’s almost sulfur free. It’s fragrant (it smells like popcorn). It’s not
harmful to the environment & doesn’t cause any pollution. It adds no CO₂ to the
atmosphere. With slightly higher cetane number, biodiesel performs well and
consumers would find it the same as petroleum diesel.
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Disadvantages Of Biodiesel
- Biodiesel is currently about one and a half times more expensive than petroleum
diesel fuel. Part of this cost is because the most common source of oil is the soybean,
which only is only 20% oil. However, the costs of biodiesel can be reduced by making
biodiesel from recycled cooking oils rather than from new soy beans, or by making it
from plant matter with higher oil content.
- It takes energy to produce biodiesel fuel from soy crops, including the energy of
sowing, fertilizing and harvesting.
- Biodiesel fuel can damage rubber hoses in some engines, particularly in cars built
before 1994. You should check with the manufacturer before using biodiesel to see if
you need to replace any hoses or rubber seals.
- Biodiesel cleans the dirt from the engine. This dirt then collects in the fuel filter, which
can clog it. Clogging occurs most often when biodiesel is first used after a period of
operation with petroleum diesel, so filters should be changed after the first several
hours of biodiesel use.
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Bibliography
The project references NCERT Chemistry, Practical
Chemistry for class 12, Wikipedia and various
websites for additional information
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