I for one am grateful for all of the information JTF is providing us FREE OF
CHARGE. It is so easy to be critical and it takes a little effort and
perhaps you might have to massage a few brain cells in order to appreciate
everything JTF is giving us here.
I don't have any problems following the instruction.
Thanks Kieth for a wonderful web site...
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Rodgers
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 12:07 PM
To: Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Purity of KOH
Hi everyone
My wife and I worked on titration until pretty late last night, at
least late for me. I am a morning person and I pruned and thinned a
massive area of Piñon & Cedar wood and then loaded it prior to
beginning our first titration of WVO. I say this because I'd rather
not have people telling me I am not tip-top with my labwork. Tired is
all. Anyway, yesterday evening we finally had all of the equipment and
chemicals in place. Saturday morning, I did some test runs using the
TI-83 & Vernier LabPro Data logger. It is the Vernier Data Logger
that is the most useful of the two for our needs. It has a USB
interface and the data logger software was easy enough to figure out.
I started out with the stainless-steel temperature sensor as we have a
decent thermometer to check against. Very nice readout on the screen
and easy to understand. I then removed the pH sensor from its soaking
bath bottle. We set it in tap water first and got a pH reading of 7.5,
rinsed it in distilled water and gently cleaned it with a paper towel,
next dipping the sensor end in fresh distilled water, pH 7.
With readings of that which we could expect, we then moved on to basic
titration. If you all will bear with me a moment, I do have some
questions. I will intertwine my questions right into the JtF web site
directions for basic titration. Our hope is to clarify these
directions for ourselves and for other newbies as well. We believe
that there are several statements found here and in the email list
which are contradictory at best.
"Basic titration
An electronic pH meter is best, but you can also use pH test strips
(or litmus paper), or phenolphthalein solution (from a chemicals
supplier)."
I suggest sorting the test equipment according to preference. We were
ridiculed for using litmus paper. Why list it second if it is
preferred as a third choice? Phenolphthalein sounds very interesting.
Why not give more information on the setup and use of this test? Yes
we followed the links.
"Dissolve 1 gram of lye in 1 liter of distilled or de-ionized water
(0.1% w/v lye solution)."
Here, according to JtF, we are in the absolute most important first
step Titration, which a newbie is going to perform! Standard procedure
in all technical writing as far as I am aware it to define all
abbreviations!!!! Why throw out a statement like: "(0.1% w/v lye
solution)" and not simply define (w/v?) This is making an already
completely new process unnecessarily cloudy in the mind of the
newbies. Ok, this is the second sentence in a half page description
of how to do the most important step in making biodiesel.
"In a smaller beaker, dissolve 1 ml of dewatered WVO oil in 10 ml of
pure isopropyl alcohol. Warm the beaker gently by standing it in some
hot water, stir until all the oil dissolves in the alcohol and the
mixture turns clear. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein solution."
Smaller beaker than what? WVO oil is redundant. Again, if the pH Meter
is the "best" tool and listed first in the sentence above, why are we
jumping back to phenolphthalein? If this is the preferred test, why
not say so in the first sentence?
"Using a graduated syringe, add the 0.1% lye solution drop by drop to
the oil-alcohol-phenolphthalein solution, stirring all the time. It
might turn a bit cloudy, keep stirring. Keep on carefully adding the
lye solution until the solution stays pink (actually magenta) for 15
seconds."
See above. We are using a continuous readout pH meter. What is the pH
we are looking for here! Yes Keith, layered information is great, but
why push it when it is unnecessary? We are jumping all over the place
in order to do one simple step. Different methods are combined in the
same paragraph. This could be the reason newbies are confused.
"Take the number of milliliters of 0.1% lye solution you used and add
3.5 (the basic amount of lye needed for virgin oil). This is the
number of grams of lye you'll need per liter of oil."
Sheesh, I am sorry, but I have a question about every sentence in this
basic titration. "Take the number of milliliters of 0.1% lye solution
you used and add 3.5" ?? This is sloppy writing. Are you saying add a
number of milliliters to 3.5 grams? If it took 1.6 mL of lye solution
then are we supposed to add 1.6 g to 3.5 g? I don't think so. How
about a formula here? It would be clearer if you stated all of the
proper terms, weight, volume, etc. No wonder so many questions appear
on the email list about titration.
"With a pH meter or test strips, use the same procedure without adding
the phenolphthalein. Add the 0.1% lye solution drop by drop as before
until the pH reaches 8.5."
Duh! Why not just add this value to the sentence above to aid the
newbies who are learning the procedure and keep them from jumping
around. Also, please be consistent with the numbers throughout the
directions. A pH of 8.5 is mentioned and then a pH of 8-9 is
mentioned. This leads one to believe it does not really need to be
exact.
I know it is difficult for many folks to take criticism. I am not so
arrogant to think I could criticize people that are so far ahead of us
in this extremely important sustainable Biofuels research. I will
offer to help. First I have to get a handle on what it is we are doing
with the titration.
It is always acceptable to use the Scientific Method so that others
may follow the directions and achieve the same results. In fact, an
experiment is never valid unless someone else can perform the exact
same experiment and achieve the same results. It is amazing how
versatile and yet precise the Scientific Method is for achieving this
goal. If different processes need to be used for different materials
and equipment, then describe each process separately using the
Scientific Method
Example 1. The pH meter method.
Purpose: To determine the amount of additional lye necessary to bring
Waste Vegetable Oil to a pH of 8.5.
Materials and Equipment: List every single piece of equipment and
every single separate material that will be used. If abbreviations
are to be used later, they should be identified here.
1. A pH meter
2. An accurate gram scale.
3. How many beakers and in what size?
4. How many sealable glass containers and in what size?
4. One Liter (L) Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO)
5. Don't forget safety equipment.
6. Distilled water.
7. etc.
Procedure/Method: List in order every single step including safety
equipment and procedures necessary. If it is important, list the
temperatures at which the materials need to be.
1. In the two Liter sealable jar, add one L of Distilled Water
2. Wearing gloves and protective eye goggles, measure out 1 gram (g)
lye and add it to measured distilled water. Make sure to close lye
container and glass jar in order to avoid contamination.
3. Remove water from WVO.
4. Next step. Etc.
Data/Results: Only list the facts. Do not speculate or editorialize.
1. At x Temperature, the WVO had no evidence of water present.
2. Formulas and calculations. The formula for converting the lye in
the titrated mL solution to grams would be used here and the results
recorded. Formula, calculations = x grams of lye to bring one L of
WVO to a pH of 8.5
Conclusion: Here is where all the opinions and speculations can occur.
1. X amount of grams of lye will need to be added to the 3.5 grams of
lye to be used in the Journey to Forever process of making biodiesel
with this particular batch of WVO. This sample of WVO was very
similar in quality to pure vegetable oil as it had no water and a
beginning pH of 6.9. Although each batch of WVO obtained from the
same source should be tested, this source (Name the Source) appears to
produce very clean WVO.
Sources of Error: List everything that might have adversely affected
the process and describe how it might have be avoided in the next
experiment or procedure.
1. The humidity due to heavy rains could have affected water content
of the lye. If conditions are not similar during the process of
making the biodiesel with this particular batch of WVO, the results
might be different. It would be best to maintain constant conditions
throughout the entire process. Measuring materials in plastic bags
could also prevent moisture contamination and that process should be
in the procedure.
2. etc.
Example 2. The Litmus Paper method.
Repeat the steps of Scientific Method.
We will provide the steps we used once we are able to effectively
complete the process.
Sincerely, Brian and Nell Rodgers
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_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
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http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
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