Anybody have some free time for a newbie?

[Bio Popo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bio Popo]

Hi everybody,
I am a newbie just starting out and am running into some difficulties. I would LOVE it if someone with some hands-on experience could let me meet up with them so that they could critique my technique and let me know why my processing is always unsucessful!!
Think of mother earth!
Seriously, I would love any help.
I am currently living in the CBD but could meet you wherever you want. Thanks!

Dave

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Anybody have some free time for a newbie?

Dude - get yourself out to see the helpful folks at the Melbourne Biodiesel Club.

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

Re: Anybody have some free time for a newbie?

All i have made are a few i litre jobs 2 failed 1 worked, i have jsut started a fourth 1 litre job tonight looks good sofar but then the 2 others that failed looked ok at first too, so i will keep trying and keep improving my actions and attention to detail.
The first set of scales i brought were a major problem when measuring anythung below 100 grams the platform of the scales would simply stick and not move to show an increase in weight, i would be trying to weigh say 5 grams the scales would show 3 grams and then jump to 7 or 8 grams and i could place an empty container on them and the scales might show 18 grams then i could lift the container and place it back down on the scales and it would then show a different figure.
I went and brought a hundred dollar electronic scales that show 0.1 gram increments, they work very good, but now i will have to find something else to blame went a batch fails.

It might be useful to the more experienced members if you descibe or show some pics of the failed batches.

[joe Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close joe]

Re: Anybody have some free time for a newbie?

I'm assuming as a newby and doing 1 ltr test batches you are using clean oil. If not you should be until you perfect your technique. Other than that you'll need;
clean uncontaminated methanol - 250mls
7 grams of KOH or 5 grams of NaOH (if your using it) (ensure you minimise exposure of this stuff of both of these to the atmosphere as it can get attract moisture very quickly)
1 litre of clean dry oil

If you using close to these quantities then you should be right. Make sure your measurements are accurate and the containers are clean and dry.

Let us know how you go

Joe

[Bio Popo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bio Popo]

Re: Anybody have some free time for a newbie?

I bought my methanol from a sprint car place called "Max Dumsney Motorsports" up in Tullamarine. I believe it to be uncontaminated, but somone just mentioned that their methanol from a racing place contained acetone. Could this be possible for me too? Is there a way to check?
Thanks

p.s. the melbourne biodiesel club doesn't seem to exist at the moment

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

250ml methanol why.

Joe from brisbane bd club or someone explain why to use 250ml methanol, what i have read and been told was 200ml methanol.

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

Bio popo

The bag of caustic you got did you keep it air tight, i think it has to be kept sealed so it doesnt take in moisture from the air, maybe some one reading this
could offer some advice.

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

Re: 250ml methanol why.

250ml is used as it is approximately twice the stoichiometric rate required to make biodiesel.

Put simply to make the fuel itself requires about 120ml of methanol per litre of oil (the stoichiometric rate), and to make the reaction go closer to completion use twice that (stoichiometric) rate ie 240ml, close enough to 250ml per litre of oil. The more within reason the better. It gets very wasteful above this ratio of twice the stoichiometric rate though.

Hope that helps,
Matt

Joe from brisbane bd club or someone explain why to use 250ml methanol, what i have read and been told was 200ml methanol.

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

Re: Bio popo

Absolutely, you must keep it airtight at all times and make sure there is as little excess air in there when you seal it too. Only open it for as short a period as possible too, otherwise it will absorb CO2 (not moisture really) and form Sodium Carbonate (not good) from your Sodium Hydroxide.

Matt

The bag of caustic you got did you keep it air tight, i think it has to be kept sealed so it doesnt take in moisture from the air, maybe some one reading this
could offer some advice.

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

Thanks matt

I discovered tonight that my 1 litre test runs were basically ok until i washed them, i would add the water give it a shake let it settle for maybe 10 seconds the water would got to the bottom and would be just a little cloudy then i would give it a thorough shaking for maybe 10 seconds let it settle and notice some rubbish in it and skake it again to try and get this rubbish to settle on the bottom and it was down hill then got more rubbish and finally a 1 litre bottle of what looks like lumps of melted cheese mixed with oil and the cloudy water on the bottom.
So will be more gentle this time and more patient.

[joe Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close joe]

Re: 250ml methanol why.

250ml is used as it is approximately twice the stoichiometric rate required to make biodiesel.

Put simply to make the fuel itself requires about 120ml of methanol per litre of oil (the stoichiometric rate), and to make the reaction go closer to completion use twice that (stoichiometric) rate ie 240ml, close enough to 250ml per litre of oil. The more within reason the better. It gets very wasteful above this ratio of twice the stoichiometric rate though.

Hope that helps,
Matt

What he said!!. Also a long time user said he uses more methonol for winter brews. I didn't question him about this but I assumed it had to do with making a more winterised blend. He makes about 1000 - 2000Lts per batch. He said about 18-20% for summer blend and up to 25% for for winter blend

Joe