From JtF:" with a creamy white layer sandwiched between water and biodiesel, it's not quality fuel and your process needs improvement. Either you've used too much catalyst and made soap (better titration), or a poor conversion has left you with half-processed mono- and diglycerides, fuel contaminants that act as emulsifiers (better titration, try more methanol, better agitation, longer processing time, better temperature control), or both too much catalyst and poor conversion. See Emulsions.
My third batch turned just about the same as the earlier tries: quality test ends up with a thick creamy white third layer. This batch seperated much better, being mostly done in about 15 minutes. I have used virgin oil (soy), what is labeled as 90% KOH (which Keith hadn't heard of until lately) and methanol from a racing fuel station. It is labeled as 100%. I calculated and
measured quite carefully, redesigned my reactor vessel, watched the reaction much closer (I think my earlier tries were agitated too much), kept the temperature much closer to a steady 135 f, and ended up with very close results to my first try.
My questions of the list are:
1) if the temp goes up close to 150-155 will this in itself adversely effect the reaction? I am using the technique exactly as on JtF, leaving the methoxide bottle hooked up to collect condensate, so little methanol has the chance to escape. But by using a water bath heat source, the temp does stay up there for a few minutes if it gets away from me.
2) Is there a quick and dirty qualitative test for the methanol, to tell me if I am working with something other than 99+ pure stuff? If there isn't an easy test, any guess on what percentage I should add in extra methanol?
3) If I assume the KOH is NOT 90% and
instead consider it 85% would the extra 5% endanger the conversion? (if it turns out to really be 90%)
4) Should I reprocess this batch or continue with washing and see what the results are?
Thanks in advance, oh wise ones.
Greg Kelly
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