[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-26 Thread girl_mark_fire

--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, simonswb6 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 how does using hot water help with the bubble wash?
 

 Hot water dissolves soap better than cold water does (same reason as 
why sugar dissolves in hot tea better than in cold tea). 

  Heat also breaks/prevents emulsions.

Hot water washing seeems to be cvommonly used in oil chemistry 
processes of all kinds, if I understand correctly. whenever they use 
water washing for anything they heat it.
I'm seeing less smulsification (or none at all) and think I'm getting 
everything washed with much less water (which is my aim)

Many people have reported wash problems that miraculously go away when 
summertime comes. Temperature is why- quite low temp changes have an 
effect on emulsion formation in bubblewashing. I got great results 
washing some pretty iffy biodiesel  at 100F, typical summertime 
ambient temps in much of the US.

.

I was looking this info up for someone else  the other day and found 
info that also said that monoglycerides and diglyerides in biodiesel 
are more soluble in hot water than cold water (where they're not all 
soluble I believe- otherwise you could just wash your way to ASTM 
biodiesel glycerol content levels, which you can't). I don' t know 
what the supporting evidence was for this statement, but it could be 
another reason for why this works. Or the author of the MG/DG 
statement might have been making the conclusion from what he was 
seeing (better washes) and it might be all due to the soap dissolving 
issue, I d


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[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-23 Thread simonswb6

hot water washes very strongly
how does using hot water help with the bubble wash?

--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, skillshare [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Hmm,, I'm not sure how to respond. I assume you're talking about 
 neutralising, as it's rather rare to make biodiesel that doesn't 
 contain some alkaline substances. If you're reading pH 7 in 
 recently-made, unwashed biodiesel you're probably not getting an 
 accurate reading.  
 If you neutralise the soap and catalyst in your fuel using acid, I 
 believe you are then forming some kind of metallic salt. This 
should 
 probably be washed out with water for various reasons.
 
 what way are you reading this pH? 
 
 I bubblewash, and I now bubblewash with very hot water which gives 
 great results. I also reuse the 2nd/3rd or 4th wash water for other 
 batches- countercurrent wash water reuse. My goal is to reduce the 
 water I need to use. 
  On my last 45-gallon batch of fuel, I used only 10 gallons of new 
 water (last wash) and 20 gallons of water recycled from previous 
 batches. 
 Here are a lot more details about the bubblewashing that I do: 
 
 http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bubblewash2.html
 
 I've changed a few details since I wrote that article. I now 
recommend 
 hot water washes very strongly, I now use 1/4 water to 3/4 
biodiesel, 
 and I usually now do only a 1 or 2-hour bubbling on the first wash. 
I 
 make my own wash stones out of small grindstones or little pieces 
of 
 sharpening stones because the aquarium ones I've used all 
disintegrate 
 in biodiesel eventually.  Because it's very hot right now here, and 
I 
 work outside, all the fuel I make is turning out to be good quality 
 and therefore the washes produce no emulsion due to quality and the 
 higher wash temperatures. I;m curious to see how much this changes 
 once it's winter- the colder weather makes a difference in both 
 washing and in processing if temperatures of the processor drop too 
 much (my experience last winter, slightly improved by adding much 
more 
 insulation!)). 
 good luck!
 mark
 
 
 
 --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Pieter Koole [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Hi girl-mark-fire,
  Is there any sense in washing the BD when the pH is around 7 ?
  I use the single stage base method.
  If you recommend washing, what is the best way to do so ?
  
  Met vriendelijke groeten,
  Pieter Koole
  Netherlands
  
  
  
  The information contained in this message (including attachments) 
is
  confidential, and is intended for the addressee(s)
  only.  If you have received this message in error please delete 
it 
 and
  notify the originator immediately.  The unauthorized use, 
 disclosure,
  copying or alteration of this message is strictly forbidden. We 
will 
 not be
  liable for direct, special, indirect or
  consequential damages arising from alteration of the contents of 
 this
  message by a third party or in case of electronic communications 
as 
 a result
  of any virus being passed on.
  
  
  - Original Message -
  From: girl_mark_fire [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 8:08 AM
  Subject: [biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method
  
  
   I think that part of the acid advice comes from Terry UK's old, 
 old
   message that's up at your site- 'add a gloop' I think it says.  
It 
 was
   the best info there was at the time (a lot better than the
   bound-for-emulsion suggestions in Tickell's book which tell you 
to
   basically spray water at the stuff, I've been there done that 
and 
 boy
   did it confuse me when it went to emulsion).
Terry's article is where I first saw bubblewashing 
instructions 
 and
   though Aleks gives a different way of doing it, the 'just add a 
 gloop'
   of acid bit sticks in one's mind I think. I thought that 'just 
 keep
   adding acid' advice from Terry also really threw me off when I 
was
   first starting out with washing, as it didn't really explain 
 emulsion
   other than to suggest fixing it with acid (with little 
accounting 
 for
   different strengths of acid, etc...) Which is primarily why I 
 wrote
   that article you've got up there. Perhaps Terry's article could 
 use a
   link to your notes on acid in case people don' t find it by
   themselves?
  
   by the way when you use acids to break emulsion, how much acid 
do
   people use, compared to the amount needed to get the water pH 
to 
 go
   neutral? It seems to me that it takes a while to see visible 
 results
   by the 'just add some till emulsion clears' method, so people 
 probably
   overdo the acid waiting to see results. Just a hunch.  Maybe a 
 more
   scientific approach to that particular problem is in order as 
 well?
  
   (I am a very big fan of hot water washing now and dont ' get 
 emulsion
   at all no matter how vigerous the wash is, in fact I've been
   experimenting with all the 'emulsifying' wash methods- what 
Todd 
 calls
   Frog in a Blender'.  I'ts still quite hot

[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-22 Thread skillshare

Hmm,, I'm not sure how to respond. I assume you're talking about 
neutralising, as it's rather rare to make biodiesel that doesn't 
contain some alkaline substances. If you're reading pH 7 in 
recently-made, unwashed biodiesel you're probably not getting an 
accurate reading.  
If you neutralise the soap and catalyst in your fuel using acid, I 
believe you are then forming some kind of metallic salt. This should 
probably be washed out with water for various reasons.

what way are you reading this pH? 

I bubblewash, and I now bubblewash with very hot water which gives 
great results. I also reuse the 2nd/3rd or 4th wash water for other 
batches- countercurrent wash water reuse. My goal is to reduce the 
water I need to use. 
 On my last 45-gallon batch of fuel, I used only 10 gallons of new 
water (last wash) and 20 gallons of water recycled from previous 
batches. 
Here are a lot more details about the bubblewashing that I do: 

http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bubblewash2.html

I've changed a few details since I wrote that article. I now recommend 
hot water washes very strongly, I now use 1/4 water to 3/4 biodiesel, 
and I usually now do only a 1 or 2-hour bubbling on the first wash. I 
make my own wash stones out of small grindstones or little pieces of 
sharpening stones because the aquarium ones I've used all disintegrate 
in biodiesel eventually.  Because it's very hot right now here, and I 
work outside, all the fuel I make is turning out to be good quality 
and therefore the washes produce no emulsion due to quality and the 
higher wash temperatures. I;m curious to see how much this changes 
once it's winter- the colder weather makes a difference in both 
washing and in processing if temperatures of the processor drop too 
much (my experience last winter, slightly improved by adding much more 
insulation!)). 
good luck!
mark



--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Pieter Koole [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Hi girl-mark-fire,
 Is there any sense in washing the BD when the pH is around 7 ?
 I use the single stage base method.
 If you recommend washing, what is the best way to do so ?
 
 Met vriendelijke groeten,
 Pieter Koole
 Netherlands
 
 
 
 The information contained in this message (including attachments) is
 confidential, and is intended for the addressee(s)
 only.  If you have received this message in error please delete it 
and
 notify the originator immediately.  The unauthorized use, 
disclosure,
 copying or alteration of this message is strictly forbidden. We will 
not be
 liable for direct, special, indirect or
 consequential damages arising from alteration of the contents of 
this
 message by a third party or in case of electronic communications as 
a result
 of any virus being passed on.
 
 
 - Original Message -
 From: girl_mark_fire [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 8:08 AM
 Subject: [biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method
 
 
  I think that part of the acid advice comes from Terry UK's old, 
old
  message that's up at your site- 'add a gloop' I think it says.  It 
was
  the best info there was at the time (a lot better than the
  bound-for-emulsion suggestions in Tickell's book which tell you to
  basically spray water at the stuff, I've been there done that and 
boy
  did it confuse me when it went to emulsion).
   Terry's article is where I first saw bubblewashing instructions 
and
  though Aleks gives a different way of doing it, the 'just add a 
gloop'
  of acid bit sticks in one's mind I think. I thought that 'just 
keep
  adding acid' advice from Terry also really threw me off when I was
  first starting out with washing, as it didn't really explain 
emulsion
  other than to suggest fixing it with acid (with little accounting 
for
  different strengths of acid, etc...) Which is primarily why I 
wrote
  that article you've got up there. Perhaps Terry's article could 
use a
  link to your notes on acid in case people don' t find it by
  themselves?
 
  by the way when you use acids to break emulsion, how much acid do
  people use, compared to the amount needed to get the water pH to 
go
  neutral? It seems to me that it takes a while to see visible 
results
  by the 'just add some till emulsion clears' method, so people 
probably
  overdo the acid waiting to see results. Just a hunch.  Maybe a 
more
  scientific approach to that particular problem is in order as 
well?
 
  (I am a very big fan of hot water washing now and dont ' get 
emulsion
  at all no matter how vigerous the wash is, in fact I've been
  experimenting with all the 'emulsifying' wash methods- what Todd 
calls
  Frog in a Blender'.  I'ts still quite hot outside right now so it
  doesn't cost me much in energy to heat. In winter it'll be a 
different
  story)
 
 
 
 
  . So I still don't recommend
   acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're
  doing.
   It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst 
first

[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-22 Thread Keith Addison

Hello Mark

I think that part of the acid advice comes from Terry UK's old, old
message that's up at your site- 'add a gloop' I think it says.

Yes, then it says Not too much, and then it says wait and add 
another gloop if necessary, in other words a little at a time. But 
indeed it's not exactly precise. He sent me what I thought was an 
updater a couple of months back, but it was the same as the previous 
one, so I guess he still does it that way, and I also guess it works 
well for him, but that in practice he'd have a much more precise idea 
of what a gloop means.

It was
the best info there was at the time (a lot better than the
bound-for-emulsion suggestions in Tickell's book which tell you to
basically spray water at the stuff, I've been there done that and boy
did it confuse me when it went to emulsion).
 Terry's article is where I first saw bubblewashing instructions and
though Aleks gives a different way of doing it, the 'just add a gloop'
of acid bit sticks in one's mind I think. I thought that 'just keep
adding acid' advice from Terry also really threw me off when I was
first starting out with washing, as it didn't really explain emulsion
other than to suggest fixing it with acid (with little accounting for
different strengths of acid, etc...) Which is primarily why I wrote
that article you've got up there. Perhaps Terry's article could use a
link to your notes on acid in case people don' t find it by
themselves?

Unless you already have the url I don't think there's any way of 
navigating direct to Terry's article except via the main 
Bubblewashing page, and the acid advice is right there directly below 
the link, and there are Back buttons at the end of Terry's article:

Back to:
Bubble washing
Aleks Kac's wash method: Washing.
Mike Pelly's method: Washing and drying.
Bubblewashing 101 by Maria Alovert

That should be enough.

by the way when you use acids to break emulsion, how much acid do
people use, compared to the amount needed to get the water pH to go
neutral? It seems to me that it takes a while to see visible results
by the 'just add some till emulsion clears' method, so people probably
overdo the acid waiting to see results. Just a hunch.  Maybe a more
scientific approach to that particular problem is in order as well?

But wouldn't the more scientific approach be not to make MGs in the 
first place? And to be less impatient in the second place? Better not 
to make a mess than to get expert at cleaning it up.

(I am a very big fan of hot water washing now and dont ' get emulsion
at all no matter how vigerous the wash is, in fact I've been
experimenting with all the 'emulsifying' wash methods- what Todd calls
Frog in a Blender'.  I'ts still quite hot outside right now so it
doesn't cost me much in energy to heat. In winter it'll be a different
story)

. So I still don't recommend
  acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're
doing.
  It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst first
to
  find out how much acid to use (that HCL/ bromophenol blue indicator
  titration that Juan described a week or so ago).
 
  Why do a titration? Adding it slowly while monitoring the pH should
do.


I'd like to test this out against that soap test, see if it turns out
the same. Someone's already done the research to figure out what the
soap test titration tells you in exact numbers, so it's one of those
rare things in biodiesel shadetree testing, a quantitative measure.
It's what I was looking for a year ago with quest

Let us know what you find.

Best

Keith


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[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-21 Thread girl_mark_fire

I think that part of the acid advice comes from Terry UK's old, old 
message that's up at your site- 'add a gloop' I think it says.  It was 
the best info there was at the time (a lot better than the 
bound-for-emulsion suggestions in Tickell's book which tell you to 
basically spray water at the stuff, I've been there done that and boy 
did it confuse me when it went to emulsion).
 Terry's article is where I first saw bubblewashing instructions and 
though Aleks gives a different way of doing it, the 'just add a gloop' 
of acid bit sticks in one's mind I think. I thought that 'just keep 
adding acid' advice from Terry also really threw me off when I was 
first starting out with washing, as it didn't really explain emulsion 
other than to suggest fixing it with acid (with little accounting for 
different strengths of acid, etc...) Which is primarily why I wrote 
that article you've got up there. Perhaps Terry's article could use a 
link to your notes on acid in case people don' t find it by 
themselves?

by the way when you use acids to break emulsion, how much acid do 
people use, compared to the amount needed to get the water pH to go 
neutral? It seems to me that it takes a while to see visible results 
by the 'just add some till emulsion clears' method, so people probably 
overdo the acid waiting to see results. Just a hunch.  Maybe a more 
scientific approach to that particular problem is in order as well? 

(I am a very big fan of hot water washing now and dont ' get emulsion 
at all no matter how vigerous the wash is, in fact I've been 
experimenting with all the 'emulsifying' wash methods- what Todd calls 
Frog in a Blender'.  I'ts still quite hot outside right now so it 
doesn't cost me much in energy to heat. In winter it'll be a different 
story)
 



. So I still don't recommend
 acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're 
doing.
 It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst first 
to
 find out how much acid to use (that HCL/ bromophenol blue indicator
 titration that Juan described a week or so ago).
 
 Why do a titration? Adding it slowly while monitoring the pH should 
do.
 




I'd like to test this out against that soap test, see if it turns out 
the same. Someone's already done the research to figure out what the 
soap test titration tells you in exact numbers, so it's one of those 
rare things in biodiesel shadetree testing, a quantitative measure. 
It's what I was looking for a year ago with quest


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Re: [biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-21 Thread Pieter Koole

Hi girl-mark-fire,
Is there any sense in washing the BD when the pH is around 7 ?
I use the single stage base method.
If you recommend washing, what is the best way to do so ?

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Pieter Koole
Netherlands



The information contained in this message (including attachments) is
confidential, and is intended for the addressee(s)
only.  If you have received this message in error please delete it and
notify the originator immediately.  The unauthorized use, disclosure,
copying or alteration of this message is strictly forbidden. We will not be
liable for direct, special, indirect or
consequential damages arising from alteration of the contents of this
message by a third party or in case of electronic communications as a result
of any virus being passed on.


- Original Message -
From: girl_mark_fire [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 8:08 AM
Subject: [biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method


 I think that part of the acid advice comes from Terry UK's old, old
 message that's up at your site- 'add a gloop' I think it says.  It was
 the best info there was at the time (a lot better than the
 bound-for-emulsion suggestions in Tickell's book which tell you to
 basically spray water at the stuff, I've been there done that and boy
 did it confuse me when it went to emulsion).
  Terry's article is where I first saw bubblewashing instructions and
 though Aleks gives a different way of doing it, the 'just add a gloop'
 of acid bit sticks in one's mind I think. I thought that 'just keep
 adding acid' advice from Terry also really threw me off when I was
 first starting out with washing, as it didn't really explain emulsion
 other than to suggest fixing it with acid (with little accounting for
 different strengths of acid, etc...) Which is primarily why I wrote
 that article you've got up there. Perhaps Terry's article could use a
 link to your notes on acid in case people don' t find it by
 themselves?

 by the way when you use acids to break emulsion, how much acid do
 people use, compared to the amount needed to get the water pH to go
 neutral? It seems to me that it takes a while to see visible results
 by the 'just add some till emulsion clears' method, so people probably
 overdo the acid waiting to see results. Just a hunch.  Maybe a more
 scientific approach to that particular problem is in order as well?

 (I am a very big fan of hot water washing now and dont ' get emulsion
 at all no matter how vigerous the wash is, in fact I've been
 experimenting with all the 'emulsifying' wash methods- what Todd calls
 Frog in a Blender'.  I'ts still quite hot outside right now so it
 doesn't cost me much in energy to heat. In winter it'll be a different
 story)




 . So I still don't recommend
  acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're
 doing.
  It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst first
 to
  find out how much acid to use (that HCL/ bromophenol blue indicator
  titration that Juan described a week or so ago).
 
  Why do a titration? Adding it slowly while monitoring the pH should
 do.
 
 



 I'd like to test this out against that soap test, see if it turns out
 the same. Someone's already done the research to figure out what the
 soap test titration tells you in exact numbers, so it's one of those
 rare things in biodiesel shadetree testing, a quantitative measure.
 It's what I was looking for a year ago with quest



 Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
 http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html

 Biofuels list archives:
 http://archive.nnytech.net/

 Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address.
 To unsubscribe, send an email to:
 [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/





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Special Sale: 50% off ReplayTV
CNet Ranked #1 over Tivo!
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-~-

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Biofuels list archives:
http://archive.nnytech.net/

Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address.
To unsubscribe, send an email to:
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[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-20 Thread Keith Addison

Hello Mark

I have to say I'm starting to change my mind about acid in the wash,
but I think it has to be used a bit more scientifically than just
'adding some' which is how homebrewers seem to use it.

Is that how they use it? I thought the usual way is to add acid until 
the wash water reads near neutral pH, or 7.5, or whatever, not just 
adding some.

Aleks Kac specifies a set amount to use for the acid-base method, 
which makes sense because you're using a set amount of catalyst in 
the first place.

That's the reason for using acid, after all, to neutralise the 
catalyst. Maybe the ones who just add some are the same ones who 
use it to make washing easier - they don't seem to be trying to 
neutralise the catalyst so much as cracking a galloping emulsion 
problem, they start bubblewashing and it froths over. I suppose the 
some that they add would be enough to stop it frothing. Adding acid 
may cure the symptom, but they need to get the process right (as 
you've said previously).

Prof. Michael Allen said this on the Biofuels-biz list recntly:

The purpose of the acid added to the wash-water after the 
transesterification is to break down any methoxide left in the ester 
and to neutralise it. Any strong acid would do for this. We use 
sulphuric acid to bring the wash water in contact with the methyl 
ester to a pH of not more  than 8. If you don't add acid, you may not 
break down all the methoxide and  there is a good chance that this 
will cause extra wear in an engine.

Water will also break down sodium or potassium methoxide but it will 
not  neutralise it. Maybe your teacher is right because your washing 
process is  very efficient at removing excess catalyst. We found that 
this efficiency can only be achieved if we use much more water. 
Perhaps you can give us  some details of your washing process...

As for how much soap will be reconverted to FFA by adding acid to the 
wash, to dissolve back into your biodiesel, Mark Schofield just gave 
a rather precise measure of it:

But remember the soap will return back to FFA. The pysical volume 
with respect to the final bio-diesel is very small indeed, maybe 
0.001% v/v.

I asked him how he'd arrived at that figure, but he hasn't responded. 
Michael Allen also said this on the Biofuels-biz list:

The acid increases its [the wash'water's] capacity to wash out 
excess soap formed by the break-down of excess methoxide. But while 
the something acid may be taking out the soap as a sodium something 
salt, some free fatty acid is formed as well. Maybe not too much if 
we keep the wash water at a pH of  7 to 8 because these fatty acids 
are very weak (poorly ionised). Some of this FFA will probably 
disperse in the soapy wash water anyway and be removed (but some 
won't!). The particular fatty acids in a particular oil  may have 
some effect on this too: For example, unsaturated fatty acids could 
perhaps be made water-soluble by the acid-washing process (I'm 
thinking of some of those sulphonates used in making shampoos here).

Too many variables for a precise figure? Anyway, very little, if you 
do it right - well within the limits, and a worthwhile trade-off for 
the advantages. We seldom do it, but I don't think there are valid 
reasons not to use acid in the wash. But yes, please, let's be a bit 
scientific about it.

Ive messed up
a batch while experimenting that way not too long ago, overdid it on
the HCL and a serious mess happened (it looked like emulsion and it
had a high acid number on a titration (1.5) which wouldn't wash out. I
eventually washed the hell out of it, and diluted it with a very high
percentage of good fuel before using). So I still don't recommend
acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're doing.
It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst first to
find out how much acid to use (that HCL/ bromophenol blue indicator
titration that Juan described a week or so ago).

Why do a titration? Adding it slowly while monitoring the pH should do.

Industry does it, but
they also don't make particularly soapy biodiesel in the first place
(because of using new oil or using acid-base ffa pretreatment), so the
amount of ffa that is released when they acidulate isn't as large as
it could be in a really problematic batch made by one of us...

I want to make a comment on acid-base biodiesel, though- the one thing
about it is that is different than singlestage biodiesel, is that you
absolutely, positively must wash it. Think what you want about washing
in general but for this method it's not an option not to wash.  Fuel
made with acid pretreatment contains water-soluble sodium sulfate
formed by the neutralising of the sulfuric acid by some of the
catalyst, and until you wash that stuff out, it's sulfur in your
tailpipe emissions. For those wondering about how much of a danger it
is that some sulfur might be left (I hear this question all the time)-
well, the commercial guys who make fuel this way, pass the ASTM 

[biofuel] Re: phosphoric acid in Foolproof method

2003-09-19 Thread skillshare

I have to say I'm starting to change my mind about acid in the wash, 
but I think it has to be used a bit more scientifically than just 
'adding some' which is how homebrewers seem to use it.  Ive messed up 
a batch while experimenting that way not too long ago, overdid it on 
the HCL and a serious mess happened (it looked like emulsion and it 
had a high acid number on a titration (1.5) which wouldn't wash out. I 
eventually washed the hell out of it, and diluted it with a very high 
percentage of good fuel before using). So I still don't recommend 
acidulating as a matter of course, unless you know what you're doing. 
It can be done right if you do a titration for soap/catalyst first to 
find out how much acid to use (that HCL/ bromophenol blue indicator 
titration that Juan described a week or so ago). Industry does it, but 
they also don't make particularly soapy biodiesel in the first place 
(because of using new oil or using acid-base ffa pretreatment), so the 
amount of ffa that is released when they acidulate isn't as large as 
it could be in a really problematic batch made by one of us...

I want to make a comment on acid-base biodiesel, though- the one thing 
about it is that is different than singlestage biodiesel, is that you 
absolutely, positively must wash it. Think what you want about washing 
in general but for this method it's not an option not to wash.  Fuel 
made with acid pretreatment contains water-soluble sodium sulfate 
formed by the neutralising of the sulfuric acid by some of the 
catalyst, and until you wash that stuff out, it's sulfur in your 
tailpipe emissions. For those wondering about how much of a danger it 
is that some sulfur might be left (I hear this question all the time)- 
well, the commercial guys who make fuel this way, pass the ASTM test 
for sulfur, and for various reasons they don't wash their fuel quite 
as thoroughly as homebrewers, so I assume it must wash out quite well.


 Note also that you don't have to wash biodiesel made by the 
Foolproof 
 method any special way. That's how Aleks does it, and that's fine, 
 but once it's settled and the by-product (glycerine) layer at the 
 bottom removed, biodiesel is biodiesel and washing it is washing it, 
 no matter what process you used. So you can decide for yourself 
 what's best fo



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