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More and more filling stations across the country are now offering biodiesel blends as an alternative fuel.
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While most biodiesel producers are classified as small businesses, larger facilities, such as this REG plant in Ralston, Iowa, are quickly cropping as well.
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Oil pressed from soybeans is one of the most common feedstocks for making biodiesel, but a variety of other grains can be used, along with poultry fat and waste fryer oil.
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A number of companies offer machines for making your own biodiesel for less than $1 gallon. The basic system, such as the Extractor from Extreme Biodiesel, consists of a plastic tanks with pumps, hoses, valves and filters, along with a weight scale and testing equipment.
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Before converting vegetable oil into biodiesel, it first has to be tested to determine the precise amount of methanol and lye that needs to be added.
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Safety precautions should be followed carefully when making biodiesel. This container of methanol has a ground wire clamped on the barrel to eliminate static electricity which could ignite fumes.
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Valves and pumps are used to mix the methanol and lye into a solution of sodium methoxide, which in turn flows into the vegetable oil, causing the glycerin to settle out. The result is raw biodiesel, which is further refined and filtered.
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Extreme Biodiesel eliminates the "water washing" phase with filtration tanks filled with media that removes contaminants.
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Biodiesel machines usually make 40 or more gallons at a time, which can be handled in a 55-gallon drum.
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If waste vegetable oil is used, it can be collected from restaurants, and then pumped into a storage tank, prior to processing into biodiesel.
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In order to collect waste vegetable oil from restaurants and other sources, Extreme Biodiesel's Chevy one-ton dually pulls a trailer fitted with pumping equipment and a storage tank.
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In addition to offering machines for making biodiesel, Extreme Biodiesel now has a coop, which sells fuel to members.
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