Shahrukh Shaikh

Period 2
September 23, 2016
Biodiesel
In society today, a plethora of unnatural fuels are used. These fuels could be very
harmful and toxic to the inner workings of our society. Everyday, one can find an article about
how fuel has been detrimental to the biosphere. Fortunately, science is pioneering a method to
perhaps alleviate this harm. To conquer this, biodiesel is an emerging field that is practiced
independently. Biodiesel is an alternative to regular diesel created through the process of
esterification of methanol and sodium hydroxide. In this process, the biodiesel emerges through
the esterification of a fatty-oil (conventionally used is vegetable oil). Through a chemical
reaction, biodiesel is formed. To test this, drops can be placed on a cottonball. This cotton ball is
then burned to test the purity or BTU of the biodiesel. For a final product, I will create a lab
report and a manual so others can replicate this very experiment.