Really you get good wash tests when you get a complete( or very close to
complete) reaction. Despite all the warnings about using too much NaOH, I find
its much easier to deal with a nice complete reaction that May have some excess
lye than to deal with an incomplete reaction that makes nasty emulsions due to
all the un-reacted WVO, mono and di glycerides. Happy Biodieseling!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 2:06
AM
Subject: [Biofuel] A green
question(s)...
Hi all,
First of all, a big THANX for all the people in Journey to Forever
for sharing their knowledge and experience with the rest of us!
I'm a beginner in the biodiesel world (a few months only), and I have
some questions... I've tried to find answers in the archives, but hadn't found
any.
Anyway, my story is something like this:
I have done a lot of new veg oil test batches of 1 liter (3.5 gr NaOH,
200ml Methanol) by the book, and at the quality washing tests (shaking
violently the separated biodiesel with water), although I got better
results with time, the best I got was a separation from the water, but with
half to one cm wide intermediate layer between the water and the biodiesel.
I've tried 3.7gr of NaOH and got worse results. Should I try 3.4gr of NaOH?
(maybe my measuring tools are poor...)
The funny thing is, that I tried to process a WVO. I did a titration with
1% NaOH, and got magenta\pink after 2.3 ml (2-3 times). So I put 5.8gr (3.5
+2.3) of NaOH, and got with the best washing quality test ever! The biodiesel
got separated in 20 minutes with a paper thin layer between. The third wash
was cristal clear. Beginners luck? In order to be sure that it is really
working, I've tried different concentration of NaOH. But then I got excellent
separation in the washing test also with 6.2gr of NaOH... How can that
be? Was my magenta really pink and not magenta??? Perhaps my titration was to
low- do you get good washing tests when you use less NaOH than you should?
Thanx
Daniel
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