Hi, I know there are many posts and opinions on the subject but if someone could give me the yes and no to my query, i will appreciate it very much.
This is my first post and i know NOTHING about biodiesel. Basically i own a chip shop here in Ireland and i have about 35 gallons of used oil every week. I use refined beef fat (its called supperrior dripping) Can i make biodiesel from this to run my Fiat and Alfa romeo cars? or better still run my central heating on it? I have looked at a few processing kits and they all appear to be much the same but if i can make biodiesel what should i look for in a processing kit? I don't understand the dry washing etc etc. I hope to learn something from this site and really hope that i can do something with this waste oil that i have copious amounts of. I know there is an issue with cold weather but It never gets too cold in this part of the world other than a few frosty mornings. Here is hoping i get good news from you all but perhaps i'm just dreaming about something that isn't a viable reality. Thanks in Advance.

Tessmania,
Welcome to the forum.
In cold climates, biodiesel made from oils, which are liquid at room temperatures, will solidify.

Made from biodiesel, you would have difficulty in getting to to be a liquid. Tallow is composed of a proportion of the following fatty acids:
% Fatty Acid MP of Fatty Acid MP of methyl Ester of fatty acid.
24 Palmitic (C16:0) . 62°C . 30.5°C
19 Stearic (C18:0) . 70°C . 39°C
43 Oleic . .(C18:1) . 13°C . -20°C
Minor percentages of other fatty acids.

As you can see, the high MP of the Palmitic and Stearic Acids will have a major impact on the melting point (MP) of any biodiesel made from Tallow.
If you can use oils which have lower proportion of Palmitic and Stearic acids, you should be able to make quality biodiesel (at least for your summer usage). It is your shop, is ti worth using canola, olive, cottonseed or other liquid oils instead of tallow, especially if it provides you with a source of fuel?

Regards,
Tony

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I know what you mean by other oils but to be honest we are quite traditional over here (ireland) and the customers wouldn't appreciate changing cooking methods. Pity.

Hi Tessmania,
Tallow does make good biodiesel and will be perfect to use in your central heating boiler. As noted above you will have gelling issues with tallow based biodiesel but if you make the stuff and then store it in a room near the heater ( not in the same room I guess for safety reasons) you should have no issues.

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This is good news. To be honest this would be what i'd prefer using it for. Do any of you know if there is a way that i could used a tank that i could have kept at a certain temp to keep the bio from gelling? Perhaps to do this would do away with the savings as it would cost alot to keep it heated. forgive me if these are stupid questions but i am not tecnically minded or handy at all.

Tessmania,

I have used Biodiesel made from tallow for several years in my VW Caddy. It makes a great fuel but starts to "gel"at about 15 C.
If you can keep your supply tank (including the pipes)to your heater in a place where it always is warmer than 15 C you should be OK.
How are you going to supply your heater? Are you using a pump?
Biodiesel is about twice the viscosity of the LHO (Light Heating Oil) from your heating oil supplier. You may have to use larger jets in your burner.

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1.9 L TDI with DSG

Australian VW Caddy & Biodiesel Forum:

http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/index....um=dutchaussie

My VW Caddy & Biodiesel Website:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~avdw

This is some of the things i will look into. just wanted to know if it can be done first and now that i know it can, i'll have to look at the technical aspects of it. Any other tips or advice or need to knows will be much appreciated from you guys as i know nothing about all this. Thanks again

Tessmania,

Before laying out cash and time to build a reactor, ask around amongst your local restaurants and see if you can find a guy making his own fuel. Arrange with him/her to take some of your oil and make a sample batch for you.

Talk to him and see if he/she wil show you the ropes.

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Slippery
Small steps taken one at a time.