Hello paul, I have read your postings on the biofuel newsgroup. Where in Oz are you? I'm in WA (OZ, not USA). I run my Mazda Capella '90 diesel on WVO (canola/cottonseed oils), with biodiesel startup/shutdown. Although I do not make BD, I am familiar with the chemistry of the process. A couple of points I would like to make are: It is not desirable to use vacuum distillation to recover methanol. This would then require chilled recovery vessel. It works fine at atmospheric pressure. Methanol recovery should be done from the glycerol by-product (after separation), methanol is not soluble in BD, but is soluble in the glycerol, therefore is removed with the glycerol and can be removed from the glycerol by distillation. You cannot get 100% methanol recovery, a significant amount is used in the reaction, creating BD. If you have vacuum distillation facilities, use them to refine the glycerol, it is worth big bucks in reasonable quantity and purity.
Please feel free to continue this discussion, e-mail me direct, or phone me. Tony Clark President, WA Renewable Fuels Association inc. 0428 920 881 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Tiny Wireless Camera under $80! Order Now! FREE VCR Commander! Click Here - Only 1 Day Left! http://us.click.yahoo.com/WoOlbB/7.PDAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html 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/