Can we use ethanol instead of methanol in preparing biodiesel?

Question

Can we use ethanol instead of methanol in preparing biodiesel?

Answer 1

Nope.  This may affect cetane number of diesel and is not miscible.  biodiesel is a mix of coco methy esther and diesel fuel.

Answer 2

Ethanol is the worst idea that humanity has come up with in the alternate energy movement.  

From what i've read it's cheaper and easy to make methonal than ethanol.  You make methanol from garbage, dead stuff.  You make ethanol from food.

Ethanol has and will continue to increase food costs while decreasing food supply.

Answer 3

Yes we can. in my home experiments making biodiesel, I have successfully made biodiesel with grey goose vodka (50% ethanol, 50% water)

methanol works better though, and lye should also be added

what's wrong with methanol though? its made like ethanol

and FYI, ethanol can be made from anything methanol is made of but the best alcohol fuel is butanol. It has the same energy as gasoline, so no loss in fuel economy. Butanol is also made from the same stuff ethanol and metnanol is made of. most people haven't heard of it because the process of making it is still being perfected, BP is working hard on it

Answer 4

Ethanol can be used but is less reactive than methanol and the energy value for the ethyl ester will be lower than the methyl ester.