biodiesel ?

[MUDWHISTLE]

I have tried a couple one liter test batches of bio fuel and have not had much success getting the lye to dissolve in my oil, any suggestions would be great, I added it at 135 deg in the oil and it mostly just settles to the bottom after alot of vigorious shaking. thanks lee.

 

[bbressler]

You mix the lye with methanol first, then you add that mixture to the oil. It will take some good shaking, and usually a bit of time for it to dissolve (maybe 10 minutes if you're doing test batches.)

Use 25% methanol by volume of oil...so if you use 1 liter oil, use 1/4 liter methanol.

 

[MUDWHISTLE]

You mix the lye with methanol first, then you add that mixture to the oil. It will take some good shaking, and usually a bit of time for it to dissolve (maybe 10 minutes if you're doing test batches.)

Use 25% methanol by volume of oil...so if you use 1 liter oil, use 1/4 liter methanol.

OK thanks does the methanol have to be heated or anything?

 

[bbressler]

No, it doesn't. You do need to have the oil heated to about 130 though. When you mix the lye with the methanol,it will create heat, so it will be warm when you add it to the oil.

 

[MUDWHISTLE]

yeah it worked much better this time, so if I make a 40 gallon batch I need 25% methanol to add to that? thats seems like that may be expensive? do you get it back by reclaiming it somehow? how much is the methanol per gallon?

 

[02Oilburner]

Quick question abit off subject. Can I run b99 biodiesel in my 2002 f250 or do I have to do mods for biodiesel? Will it hurt performance with a chip installed? Better MPGs or just better for America and the environment? Thanks guys

 

[ktpauley]

Your 02 will be fine. You may see a slight loss of MPG, and power. Bio has about 10,000 less BTUs than dino biesel. Keith

 

[bbressler]

yeah it worked much better this time, so if I make a 40 gallon batch I need 25% methanol to add to that? thats seems like that may be expensive? do you get it back by reclaiming it somehow? how much is the methanol per gallon?

Yes, it's quite a lot. You can probably get away with 20%, but the more methanol you have, the easier it is to get it right the first time.

Last time I bought methanol, and it's been a while, it was about $3 a gallon...that put's the finished product around $.75 a gallon.

You can reclaim a lot of methanol from the glycerin by using a still -- I haven't done this, but I know there are lots of folks that do.

 

[rickh]

Mud,
You have taken your first sept to FREEDOM! Way to go!
You can drop to 22% methanol and even lower once you get rolling and learn a few tricks.
Were you converting new oil or used. If used you need to test it first to see how much extra Lye to add over a base of 5 grams per liter of oil (For NaOH).
Friday methanol around here is around 3 bucks per gallon retail.
Recovery is not hard, use KOH lye so your glycerol stays liquid, heat it over the boiling point of methanol 148 f, flash the gas state of methanol back to liquid through flash cooling and bingo, methanol recovered.
Glycerol contains about 40% methanol.
2 years ago my finished cost per gal was .48 cents. This year around .65 up to .90 depending on methanol prices. Prices swing wildly in the winter.
Keep at it!
Rick H...