Hi Everyone,
I need to make a trip (my first test-run!) up to Wodonga and would like to do it on the biodiesel I have made thus far. However, I'm not sure of the quality.
I have three batches showing:
1) 15L oil/3L methanol/208.5g KOH, with only a 5% pre-wash, and it has been settling for about a week but sealed so it couldn't dry (whoops)
2) 15L oil/4.75L meth (whoops)/330.125g KOH (whoops), no washing at all, settled for 17hrs -drained 7L, let settle for another 80hrs
3) 20L oil/4L meth/278g KOH, no washing, drained 4.5L after settlign for 15 hrs, let settle another 80hrs or so.
The light coloured bio in some of the pictures is a batch I goofed on and just poured into my by-product carboy to settle out some more, so ignore it please.
I will match the different samples in the pictures to their descriptions above. If anyone could please let me know whether these samples look like they are ready to be used, that would be awesome.
It appears to me that 2), where I goofed and 'overdoesed' on the methoxide, is the clearest. Which suggests to me that I may not be using enough methanol in my process (20%). Therefore I went ahead and processed another batch today using 25% methonal.
ONE more thing! If anyone is still reading....when I went and checked on my bio today, I noticed that 2) had leaked a little by-product from the valve and it had gelled into an amber looking goo. I am in melbourne so I guess it gets a little chilly at night, but the little bit of by-product that leaked from 3) hadn't gelled. What does this mean?
THANK YOU!!!!
Dave
I need to make a trip (my first test-run!) up to Wodonga and would like to do it on the biodiesel I have made thus far. However, I'm not sure of the quality.
I have three batches showing:
1) 15L oil/3L methanol/208.5g KOH, with only a 5% pre-wash, and it has been settling for about a week but sealed so it couldn't dry (whoops)
2) 15L oil/4.75L meth (whoops)/330.125g KOH (whoops), no washing at all, settled for 17hrs -drained 7L, let settle for another 80hrs
3) 20L oil/4L meth/278g KOH, no washing, drained 4.5L after settlign for 15 hrs, let settle another 80hrs or so.
The light coloured bio in some of the pictures is a batch I goofed on and just poured into my by-product carboy to settle out some more, so ignore it please.
I will match the different samples in the pictures to their descriptions above. If anyone could please let me know whether these samples look like they are ready to be used, that would be awesome.
It appears to me that 2), where I goofed and 'overdoesed' on the methoxide, is the clearest. Which suggests to me that I may not be using enough methanol in my process (20%). Therefore I went ahead and processed another batch today using 25% methonal.
ONE more thing! If anyone is still reading....when I went and checked on my bio today, I noticed that 2) had leaked a little by-product from the valve and it had gelled into an amber looking goo. I am in melbourne so I guess it gets a little chilly at night, but the little bit of by-product that leaked from 3) hadn't gelled. What does this mean?
THANK YOU!!!!
Dave
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