Hi Tom, Todd >Todd, > I reprocessed a 95L batch using 10% methanol and 3.5 g NaOH/liter as >per JTF. > I recall having the same question you pose re: the lye. >I simply followed the instructions given at JtF and slightly more than a >gallon of additional glycerine mix separated out. The reprocessed BD washed >beautifully w/o emulsion and after three washings and a few days drying in >the sun was crystal clear and ready to use.
Good! >You asked: > "Won't that cause washing problems because of the additional NaOH >causing an emulsification?" > > I wondered about that myself, so before reprocessing the entire batch I >first washed the 1L BD produced by the quality test. It went well so I >proceeded to wash the remaining 95L. (stir washing as per JtF) > As I understand it, soap and/or unreacted glycerides are the cause of >emulsions. Perhaps lye itself, in the absence of water, does not cause >emulsions. > > Though a newbie myself, I thought that I would pass along my >experience w. reprocessing. Maybe someone more knowledgable about the >reaction can fill us in on the mystery of the excess lye. I'll try, but I'm no chemist. Lye makes soap out of glycerides and FFA, but once you've reprocessed the biodiesel there's not much glycerides and FFA left to make soap out of, nor emulsifers either, it's all gone with the extra glycerine mix that dropped out, along with most of the excess lye, if any. You can wash the rest of the lye out without problems with soap or emulsifiers. As indeed you did. ... Or something like that anyway... HTH > Follow the directions at JtF and proceed with confidence. Thanks for your confidence. :-) Best wishes Keith > Tom > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Todd Hershberger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> >Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 9:54 AM >Subject: [Biofuel] reprocessing biodiesel > > > >I tested some biodiesel after processing it by treating it as new > > virgin oil and some additional glycerine dropped out. My questions are- > > > > Do I use 10% methanol and 3.5 g NaOH/liter per JTF to reprocess? > > > > Won't that cause washing problems because of the additional NaOH > > causing an emulsification? > > > > Thanks for helping a newbie, > > Todd _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
