Dave, Afraid you'll need to recalculate your numbers a bit.
First, the stuff that settles out of a transesterification is a soap/alcohol/glycerol/catalyst cocktail, not just glycerol. The only reason it hardens is because a high fraction of its volume is soap and not glycerol. (In its pure state, glycerol is colorless, sweet and weighs out at 10# per gallon.) The higher the soap to glycerol ratio the harder it gets. Unfortunately, a greater soap ratio indicates a higher FFA content in the parent oil and in turn a lower biodiesel yield. The only way to get the input/yield ratio up to 1:1 is to use an acid base process. This reduces the ratio of soap in the cocktail and prevents the cocktail from hardening. The reality is that if you achieve the 1:1 ratio you will get very little soap. When recovering the glycerol from the cocktail, that soap is fractured back to FFAs and the sodium or potassium ion. The metal ion bonds with the acidic ion (usually phosphorous) to form a sodium or potassium precipitate (fertilizer). The methanol is recovered from the glycerol, leaving a straw colored to amber product, perhaps somewhere in the range of 95% purity. If the parent stock was WVO the glycerol will be in great need of deodorization/sterilization. Methanol is also recovered from the FFAs and the FFAs are used as a fuel (appoximately the same viscosity as biodiesel and considerably less viscous than SVO or WVO) or run back through the acid/base process. If the recovered glycerol comes from biodiesel manufactured from SVO, you can add it to various soap and cosmetic products. Glass soap, aka "glycerin soap," is nothing more than an average soap recipe with extra glycerin added, along with a prolonged boiling step using ethanol. In short, glass soap is an energy hog. A cold processed soap with extra glycerin that is not boiled to glass clear would save energy, alcohol and time (as if time can be saved) yet still achieve the same utilitarian results. Sorry to say it, but the process of getting from A to Z is a fair bit more involved than you might think. Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [biofuel] Re: Environment > > Dear Jake: > > You sure nailed me. I'm one of those of fossils who is a Christian, > Conservative, and hopefully a Patriot. I am the guy you all despise and ridicule at > every opportunity. Flame on people. > > If you get a chance you might take the opportunity to have a discussion > without all the vitriol. > > I have always had an interest in alternative energy resources and at one time > owned virtually every copy of Mother Earth News. I read all those articles > about how the world was coming to an end. Is Paul Erlichman still around? > Remember how we were all going to starve as a result of the population explosion? > > > You may not believe this but I also consider myself a conservationist. > Abusing your resources is not only stupid but its bad business. Being a > conservative, I think about such things. :)) > > The people on this forum have provided a remarkable amount of very valuable > information concerning Biofuels. You are to be commended. I have tried many > of the systems you have presented and am very impressed. Your council works. > Todd Swearingen is without a doubt very knowledgeable and gives simple and > precise answers to the questions asked by those on the forum with questions. > > Now, I would like to make a suggestion that some of you entrepreneurs might > consider. I believe there is an opportunity for many people to earn real good > money. This might be a thumb nail bus. plan. > > Assume your able to collect 1000 gals. of WVO per week. Seems like a > reasonable task. That amount should yield 1000 gals. of Biofuel. It should also > yield 750# of glycerin. Please don't take it to the grass clippings pile. > Glycerin as you all know is valuable. Learn how to Purify it and then assign your > wife the task of making a very high value soap. Sell it on the Internet @ > $1.50 per 3.5 oz. bar. If she can't make that much soap, pour the glycerin in 2# > blocks and again sell it for 2-3 bucks a pound. > > Let's see what you accomplished. Gross Income BioD $2,200.00 Soap 200# at > app. $1,000.00 and the balance of glycerin 500# @ 2.50 /#. Let's see now that's > about $4,400.00 in gross income. You might have a Grand in expenses and that > seems to me to be a pretty good part time business. > > Both liberals and conservatives may be able to agree on some things. Biod is > Good, Glycerin soap is high quality soap, and I hope all of you have a > wonderful day and life.Now go out there all you greedy capitalist and do good. :)) > > Sincerely, > Dave Hannah ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
