I created an emulsion (yes I did), and I used glycerin to deemulsify the emulsification. IT worked so fast it amazed my friend and I who sat and watched it in amazement. I was able to drain off the glycerin (10 gallons to 40 gallons Bio) I then started to get ehat looked like the emulsion, and it seems that just below the surface of the good stuff lies this yellowish emulsion looking stuff, but the glycerine did not seem to break this. Any ideas what I might be looking at? I have not tried vinegar yet and will do that tonight. I did turn on my bubbler for a 24 hour test to see if drying it would break it even further. I did another wash right after the break and that just seemed to reemulsify it (using the B100 Arizona Mist Washers). Any help on this would be appreciated.

The yellowish stuff that I've seen was just bubbles of biodiesel/glyceine that hadn't yet fully separated (I do this process in glassware during every class I teach so I've watched it quite a few times now). I"m not sure if that's what you're discussing, though.

I've also found that if you do this process and then bubblewash immediately, you REALLY have to make sure all the glycerine is drained out before you begin to bubble- it can cause some re-emulsification if bubblewashing only (or I suppose if you're using any recirculating wash method). If you got emulsion again using mistwashing only, try raising the misters higher above the surface of the tank next time (and for godsakes make sure you dont get any glycerine into your wash tank while transferring biodiesel into your wash tank from your reactor, the extra soap in the glycerine layer is what causes most emulsions- not to be confused with using large amounts of glycerine to subsequently break these emulsions)

I am certain that these first two batches had some Glycerin in them as they were "my first two batches" I combined them in a 55 gallon drum to wash, and I did the usual newbie thing and agitated it somehow. I did get some success with the glycerine, and I was able to get glycerine out after I dumped it in. Then I got the Yellowish stuff (which I stil feel is emulsion). This must have been between the glycerine and Biodiesel layers. I felt it might also be soap. I did add some glycerine to the 5 gallon bucket and did not get anything so it went onto the compost pile. I cannot tell with any degree of accuracy how deep this layer is, though I have a stick I used to stir it when I introduced the glycerine and when I insert it into the liquid I get the yellow stuff within inches of the dark stuff when I pull it out. This makes me think it is really close to the top. If so I have a big problem. I will continue to work on it and if all else fails I will use Vinegar.

Forgot to mention that I am bubbling the stuff without the introduction of additional water. Hoping to dry it inexpensively. I do have an emersion heater I made. I should post it and the plans on the forums as it is inexpensive to build and gives you all the safety of not touching anything. Now to add a thermostat.

great , post when you have it.

I'm thinking your glycerine/biodiesel bubbles just aren't settling because you're bubbling them and keeping them suspended. I also found that adding 'more' glycerine usually gets past stuff like that.

I did an experiment last month by making extremely unconverted fuel (using half the methanol required), then running it in a blender to emulsify it- and then broke the emulsion with glycerine. THere was more of the yellow bubbly middle layer than I see with just a soap emulsion. I think it would have broken with more glycerne though, I just ran out of time and ran out of glycerine.

Mark

I screwed up a batch as well Doug and this was beyod the help of Glyceron, gotta let this one settle for awhile, anyway still got 50+ gallons in the drying tanks and 70 in storage so far so I can't complain, bubble drying has been working wonders for me so far, I still warm and spray dry to finish but bubbling sure helps

Greaseburger

I've just encountered a similar situation. I just finished a mist wash on my first attempt at biodiesel. The top of the biodiesel in the wash tank looks darker brownish after misting for two hours. I drained the bottom layer and it was the milky tan-looking stuff. I kept draining and draining and the milky stuff kept coming, more than 5 gallons worth. I tried draining from the stand pipe side and it looked a little better but still kind of milky. My misting was soft (only one of the Arizonq misting nozzles works) the nozzle was held high above the biodiesel and the water did not penetrate the oil. Since I drained over 8 gallons of milky stuff from my original 22 gallons of oil, I poured it all back into the wash tank which of course made a real nice emulsion. I'm not quite sure how much water the misting added, but it couldn't have been too much. I probably did not drain all the glycerin before I drained the applseed to the wash tank. So to break the emulsion, I just poor the glyercine back into the washtank that I originally drained from the appleseed? And then start over misting?

I haven't read all the replies in this thread, and I don't (as yet) make Bio-Diesel so you would think I cannot comment?
However, I have experience in a number of other areas that may help these last postings. "The Yellow Stuff". Usually always generated when air / any gas is allowed to pass through any liquid that contains a suspension of solids/suspended matter. Whilst it is true: Adding more of the supended matter will collect the disperate molecules together, there will always be some molecules left behind. The cheapest and simplest solution to this is to use a "Protein Skimmer" available from any Tropical Marine Fish/pet store, or you can make your own from a plastic coca cola bottle (or similar). Once all Glycerine has been removed - rather than just drying the diesel with a "bubbler" - use a Protein Skimmer instead - and kill two birds with one stone (dry & remove the cloud!).

I hope this helps - perhaps you can help me? I'm looking for a Fuel Meister that creates no more than 20 Litres automatically in any 12 hour period, and uses Ethanol (as opposed to Methanol). Also, I would like to purchase 5Kg of raw Glycerine (made from a 20 Litre solution). For all contacts please email g.aldren@lancaster.ac.uk Thankyou.