Pressing oil from acorns

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I extracted ground acorn nuts with acetone. Removed the acetone and water by vacuum distillation to produce crude oil. Extracted the crude oil oil with hexanes (lighter fluid) to produce fairly pure glyceryl tri-fatty acids. Then I made crude methyl biodiesel from the acorn oil. It works just fine. I got 25.6% by weight, of oil from acorn nuts. Acorns are about 2/3 nuts by weight and 1/3 of the weight was shells (about). Extracting the crude oil with hexanes removes tannic acid that is present . Dr Eddie Luzik at University of New Hampton in the USA said extracting with acetone might be a problem due to condensation products.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I got 25.6% by weight, of oil from FRESH acorn nuts, using solvent extraction method. On a large scale, solvent recovery is necessary or the cost of product is too high to be comercially viable. I sent this green fuel biodiesel product information into the USA government, but they paid me nothing. Here the government takes advantage of inventors like me. Used to, an inventor could get wealthy in the USA, but now the fuel industry has people who are like piranas , grabbing a bite of my products/inventions/research results who pay nothing. It is kind of like, the government would rather pay the thieves of an invention than pay the inventor.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

Using fresh acorns when extracting oil is better because two of the fatty acids involved have double bond/bonds. The fatty acids go rancid. I stored acorns for two to four weeks in small plastic bags at room temperature. When I started to shell the previously stored acorns, the nuts had turned from yellow to almost black, indictating a chemical reaction had occurred. So... it is probably best to use fresh acorns in making biodiesel. For the solvent extraction method of making acorn oil, many non-polar solvents will do it. I choose acetone because it is available and relatively cheap in the area I live in and it has a low boiling point. I would say don't use chlorinated solvents because you can't get it all out and then you've got chlorine in your motor fuel which might make poison exhaust gasses and cause internal corrosion in the motor. I don't yet have all the answers on this subject but I've got some of them. Thanks

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I made Methyl Biodiesel from palm kernel oil using fairly dry methanol. It worked fine. I tried to make Ethyl Biodiesel using 95% ethanol/water as the alcohol reactant. It didn't work to make Ethyl Biodiesel. Since only a little glycerine was produced in the 95% ethanol process, it probably made soap out of my Lye catalyst. Next I tried to make Ethyl Biodiesel using 99.5% ethanol, lye , palm kernel oil...it worked just fine to produce mostly Ethyl Biodiesel. Since dry (anhydrous) ethanol is expensive, I've ruled out making ethyl biodiesel as a commercial product motor fuel. In the Lye, glyceryl tri-fatty acid, alcohol process using dry ethanol costs too much to be commercially viable as a motor fuel. Also I learn from this that the trans-esterification reaction ought to be as dry as possible when done. In an equilibrium reaction where water is one of the produts, then generally, wet reactants inhibits formation of products (pushes the equilibrium to the left, or elsewhere than what is desired). Acorn oil can be used in place of palm kernel oil to make biodiesel. There are no palm trees where I live only Oak (acorn producers) Trees, lots of Oak Trees.

[tillyfromparadise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tillyfromparadise]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I got 25.6% by weight, of oil from FRESH acorn nuts, using solvent extraction method... I sent this green fuel biodiesel product information into the USA government, but they paid me nothing.

Do you think your method of extracting the oil is so unique and different from other solvent extraction methods in common use that you should have been paid for the information you provided?

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I produced chemistry research information mostly independently and submitted it to people that probably didn't know about it. In the USA there's a fuel problem. Even the President asked for innovation relative to green renewable fuels. They ought to reimburse me my costs and maybe even give me a nice shiny medal. I'm working on my next batch now will report back in a few days or weeks on it. I'm only making about 1/4 litre, probably.

[tillyfromparadise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tillyfromparadise]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

They ought to reimburse me my costs and maybe even give me a nice shiny medal.

Please accept this medal from a greatful nation

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

Pressing oil from acorns might not be as productive as solvent extraction. I extracted 25.6% by weight of red oil from acorns using solvent extraction method. The oil I produced (about a year ago) was so pure crystals were growing in it. I read a report on the computer that said the Russians got 4-5% oil. Anyway the acorns I used as my raw material were from the Nuttall Oak Trees that are found in East Texas and else where. I'm now working on another batch using acetone solvent extraction. On a large scale acetone extraction might not be the best solvent to use. My records for oil extraction from acorns is lengthy and it is on a small scale, if you want to know let me know and I'll type it onto this forum. Thanks to the man who awarded me a medal from a grateful nation. If the Australians solve the acorn/biodiesel problem then eventually the Americans will get it, so I'll help the Australians solve it.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

Acorns have a high content of tannin, a bitter compound used to tan hides. Tannins are a class of compounds. Tannic Acid (C76H52O46) is now selling for $48.59 American Dollars for about 4 ounces. Tannic acid is very soluble in water. Tannins should be removed from biodiesel from acorn oil before fueling up the car with it. I expect tannins can not be vaporized in a motor's combustion chamber. Purifying tannins from acorns as part of extracting oil from acorns might be a monetary bonus in making biodiesel. Purified tannins are not a worthless byproduct.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

Shelling acorns by hand took me a long time, prior to extracting the oil. So I looked for industrial shelling pecans on the internet to find, there are large pecan shelling plants that have the capacity of cracking open 150,000 pounds of pecans per day. All such plants use cold storage...both shelled and unshelled can be stored in such plants. I expect pecan shelling machines can be modified to shell acorns. Pressing canola oil is done without the husk. Presence of the husk during pressing lowers the amount of oil product from the pressing operation. So, I expect acorns should be shelled before pressing or using a solvent extraction method to obtain the oil. The acorns I'm experimenting with have tannins in them. I found on the internet that some type of tannin can cause anemia in people, maybe in some animals too. So, removing tannins from the residual meal after pressing ought to be done if it is to be used to feed animals.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

In an earlier post I said I used lye in the transesterification reaction. I looked in a chemistry book and have found that more pure sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide should be used instead of (inexpensive) lye drain cleaner. I remember from quantitative analysis chemistry class that lye is 5-10% calcium hydroxide plus sodium hydroxide. It is difficult to remove the calcium from the finished biodiesel product , but not so difficult to remove sodium or potassium. Sorry if this caused anybody a temporary problem.

[Bug Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Bug]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

(browser crashed, so you are going to get a less revised version.)

If this is truly what you are looking to do, read 'Tree Crops' by J. Russell Smith. Published in 1929 and updated in 1953. He has done the research. Read it to get a better understanding of tree crops productions and potentials.

To do what you are talking about, I would look at increasing current tree productivity by, graft better varieties onto trees you already have, reduce competition (grasses, similar trees, etc), increase nutrients for your trees (water, nitrogen fixers, minerals, soil health) and adding some animals to the mix. When it comes to getting the most from the nuts, consider getting as much oil from the nuts as possible with the least amount of work / input as possible. Pigs will eat the left over nut meal and produce more oil when you slaughter them. They will also collect the nuts for you, so you can get rid of all of that labor. You may have to plant some other tree crops for them to eat throughout the year. Most of the work as already been done for you. If you like eating pig, you can eat them and run your car off of them. Chickens and other animals can be used also.

Getting your fuel from multiple sources is probably the best longterm strategy and least risky. Example, acorns, sunflowers and a good seed bearing fabaceae/leguminosae species combined with animal fats, algae, etc. You will end up with more fuel, food, and fun than you know what to do with.

hope that helps someone.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I extracted oil from about one pound, fresh, ground, shelled acorns using acetone. Removed most of the acetone. Extracted the acetone extract with hexanes (lighter fluid). Did vacuum distillation on the hexanes extract, removing most of the solvents and water. To get 4.38% by weight of orange/yellow acorn oil. I'm not used to working with such small quantities but I will proceed to try to make methyl biodiesel from the 23.4 grams of fairly pure acorn oil that I got in about a week or two. I intend to report back when I can.

[tillyfromparadise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tillyfromparadise]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

Hi Wesle,
You seem confused.
Lye is either Potassium Hydroxide or Sodium Hydroxide. Drain cleaner usually contains lye plus other things such as aluminium.It is best not to use drain cleaner for the reaction.

In an earlier post I said I used lye in the transesterification reaction. I looked in a chemistry book and have found that more pure sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide should be used instead of (inexpensive) lye drain cleaner. I remember from quantitative analysis chemistry class that lye is 5-10% calcium hydroxide plus sodium hydroxide. It is difficult to remove the calcium from the finished biodiesel product , but not so difficult to remove sodium or potassium. Sorry if this caused anybody a temporary problem.

[WesleyB Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close WesleyB]

Re: Pressing oil from acorns

I mixed 20 ml methanol with 0.2 grams of Potassium Hydroxide. Added the methanol solution to 23.4 grams acorn oil in a boiling flask. Stoppered the flask using stopcock grease and stopper. Heated at about 60 degrees centigrade for 2 1/2 hours. A reaction occurred producing a three layer liquid product. The bottom layer was dark brown (probably) glycerine. The middle layer (phase) was about a lavender color, and probably was the biodiesel. The top layer was redish and I think it is probably a layer (phase) consisting of methanol. I got hasty and discarded the lower two layers. But my point is that the reaction worked even for this tiny quantity. The methanol was present in excess. My calculations indicated I could have used less methanol for this reaction.