Hi Todd, Thanks for the info. You`re probably right about the glycerin, but I`m still going to keep it on my list of things to accomplish. You are absolutely right about the methanol. I want to know about the vacuum/ heat extraction method in more detail, so if you have some good info I would appreciate your help. I`m not sure what VOC output is so please fill me in on that.
Hey, I really got a charge out of the "King George thing" I`m in absolute agreement !!! Thanks, David Cruse ----- Original Message ----- From: "Appal Energy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 7:51 PM Subject: Re: [biofuel] glycerin > > Does anyone know a process that can be > > used to purify the glycerin produced in the > > biodiesel reaction into a pure or high grade > > glycerol ? High grade glycerol has a much > > better market value than the crude ( 80-88% ) > > glycerin you get with standard biodiesel recipes. > > > David Cruse > ....................... > David, > > Here's the skinny on glycerin. > > To purify you will need to evaporate and distill it. The boiling point is > above 500 Fahrenheit (read "boatloads of heat energy"). > > To reduce the heat input, you can evaporate and distill under partial > vacuum. You're talking pressure rated, insulated tanks, a serious boiler, a > major energy cost and uneconomical until you have a volume of "x" cubic feet > of crude to distill. > > And that's when you're doing it safely but on the cheap. > > Even then you must meet food or cosmetic grade compliance for both the > facility and the product in order to attain the higher value of pure > glycerin. This means initial cost to meet the standard, continual and > rigorous testing to insure product integrity, insurance costs for > distributing food or cosmetic grade products and costs almost ad infinitum. > > Until you start producing several thousand gallons of biodiesel each week, > the idea of refining glycerin is best left on paper or perhaps a pretty > intense experiment. This truth really sucks, but no one can change the > physical properties of glycerin. > > You could also experiment with glycerin as a furnace fuel or furnace fuel > additive. Incomplete combustion generates Acrolein, however. It is extremely > toxic and dangerous. One should be up on their combustion mechanics and > chemistry before trying this. > > Or, you could toy with the conversion of glycerin to ethanol. This would be > in the presence of the neutralized catalyst if you cannot determine a way to > remove it before fermentation. This may or may not affect the yeastie > beasties, depending upon their nature. > > In any event, you should be recovering the alcohol from the glycerin layer > for economic and environmental purposes. That may not seem like much, but it > is a start and gets you more familiar with evaporation/condensing techniques > if you're not already familiar. It also reduces your VOC output if the > alcohol of choice was anything but ethanol. > > The working theory is that biodiesel manufacture is intended to be green. > This is one theory that can be practical in reality if all avenues are > addressed > > Todd > Appal Energy > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
