Lecture Notes on Producing Bio-Laser

Introduction

• Presenter: Raman Chawla
• Audience: Class 11 students, Rohingya public school
• Topic: Application of basic chemistry to produce bio-laser at home using common chemicals.

Key Ingredients for Bio-Laser

• Main Ingredient: Used cooking oil (available in every household and often of no further use).
• Process: Biodiesel production through transesterification using vegetable oil and alcohol.
• Catalyst Used: Potassium hydroxide.

Steps to Produce Bio-Laser

1. Filtering the Oil

   • Begin with 100 ml of used cooking oil.
   • Filter to remove impurities.

2. Heating the Oil

   • Heat oil to 60 degrees Celsius using a thermometer.

3. Preparing the Catalyst Mixture

   • Weigh 1 gram of potassium hydroxide.
   • Measure 20 ml of ethanol in a measuring cylinder.
   • Combine ethanol with potassium hydroxide and stir thoroughly.

4. Mixing the Ingredients

   • Transfer the hot oil to a conical flask.
   • Add the potassium hydroxide and ethanol mixture into the hot oil.
   • Mix thoroughly and cover the flask with aluminum foil.

5. Heating the Reaction Mixture

   • Keep the reaction mixture in a water bath at 60 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

6. Separation of Layers

   • After 1 hour, take the reaction mixture in a burette.
   • Observe formation of two separate layers:
     • Lower Layer: Glycerol (byproduct).
     • Upper Layer: Biodiesel (main product).

7. Igniting the Biodiesel

   • Add biodiesel into an empty spirit lamp.
   • Ignite it to demonstrate how brightly it burns.

Conclusion

• The process effectively demonstrates the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil, showcasing a practical application of chemistry in creating a sustainable energy source.