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 For processing, you must not have excess rapeseed oil because it is impossible to separate rapeseed from biodiesel.

2 balloons of 1L

 2 balloon heaters

 2 reflux column

 2 refrigerant

 2 separating funnels 500mL

 500 mL test tube

 100 mL test tube

 Protective equipment: gown, goggles and gloves

 hydrometer (density from 0.800 to 0.900)

 liquid funnel

 100ml rapeseed oil

 25 mL of ethanol

 96% sulfuric acid (to make a catalyst)

 stirrer

 glycerol triester + 3 ethanol → glycerol + ethyl oleate (EEC)

The experience:
Pour 600mL of rapeseed oil into the 100mL and 500mL test tubes.

 Pour 150mL of ethanol into the 100mL and 50mL test tube.

 Using a funnel, pour the rapeseed and ethanol into a balloon.  Then add a few drops of sulfuric acid and pumice stone.

Put the flask on the heating mantle and screw it to the reflux column as shown in the photo.

  Heat for about an hour, then wait for it to cool then pour the liquid into a separatory funnel, leaving the pumice stone in the flask.

  Leave the mixture to rest for at least two days.

  We obtain three phases (from top to bottom):

 - excess ethanol

 - assumed biodiesel

Extract the glycerol.

  Pour the mixture of ethanol and biodiesel into a second flask.

 Then put the balloon on the balloon heater and screw it to the condenser.

  In the table we see that the boiling point of ethanol is 78°C while that of biodiesel is over 200°C.

   Thus using a thermometer we look at the temperature of the vapors at the top of the cooler.  When it indicates 78°C the ethanol evaporates.

  After evaporation of the ethanol there are no more vapors so the thermometer goes back down in temperature.  At this time we know that there is only biodiesel left and the ethanol is collected in an Erlenmeyer flask.

  Allow the biodiesel to cool and pour into a 100mL test tube.

 To verify that the experiment worked, we measure its density.

  Just gently insert the hydrometer into the supposed biodiesel.

  We are supposed to find a value close to the theoretical value which is 0.880.