From what I gather, you need to de-meth first? Right? Are there any plans out there to make your own home made system? Thanks...

You can either demeth before or after and yes, it's a good idea.

It somewhat depends on the type of dry wash setup you're using.

For instance, Purolite & Amberlite actually like a little methanol in the fuel to work right.
However, Thermax can handle Biodiesel with practically 0 methanol in it.

Eco2Pure & wood chips are just absorbing soap, glycerin, & methanol so it's not near as critical.

However, if you're planning to sell the fuel once you've completed and you need to meet the full ASTM Standard, then you need to make sure your methanol content levels are low enough to pass the flash point test for Biodiesel (ASTM D93). Otherwise it won't pass.

-Graydon

I am also seriously contemplating using thermax drywashing to elimate waste water issues (i.e EPA) and to free up some of my time.

Graydon, if I remember right, if one de-meths the BD, that helps the glyc and soaps to drop out, which in turn would help extend the life. I don't have a condensor set up yet and I understand the vapor hazard and environmental concerns with allowing methanol to evaporate. However, from a technical standpoint, can I settle the fresh BD, drain glyc, then spray BD in open top container to allow it to evaporate before sending through the Thermax? OR would it be better to send the settled BD through Ecopure then Thermax? OR Centrifuge settled BD before Thermax.

If I do these things, and test for conversion, which of these set-ups will provide the best quality?

Thanks, irokcj5

I've been using Purolite PD206 for a tad over a full year now to fuel 7 engines (2 cars,4 tractors and a greenhouse boiler). I am still on the initial resin volume, although I plan on introducing a third tower, larger than the other two, with hard wood chips to further extend resin life.

All that said; I use a separate settling tank directly from the reaction. The tank (200Lt drum) is equipped with a standpipe and I settle anywhere from over night to several days. Once settled I then transfer it to a demething tank. Last year a GC test on the settle biodiesel showed an ASTM pass for free and total glycerine, and a further 30% reduction after the lead and lag resin tanks.

The biodiesel, when it comes out of settling contains about 2% methanol and this is easily evaporated to residual levels. The principle of using evaporation of methanol from biodiesel to remove soaps was first introduced to this forum via Graham Laming's GL Eco-System. His method requires a rather lengthy resettling time frame when the soaps simply drop out of solution no longer having anything to keep them there the methanol being gone. To speed this up resin purification is used, although hard wood chips have shown great promise at removing impurities as well.It is my opinion that a combination of chips followed by a lead/lag resin bed configuration will give you top quality biodiesel.

hello i am new to the forum and I was wondering where to find hard wood chips ?? and after removing the methanol from the BD what bout uing magnesol to get the rest of the stuff out then the purolite to polish

quote:

It is my opinion that a combination of chips followed by a lead/lag resin bed configuration will give you top quality biodiesel.

Legal,
Thanks for the input,

I'm on the wood chip bandwagon as well.

I got 30 pounds of Purolite and will use water softener columns (lead/lag) following 2 hardwood chip pvc columns.-6" with 24" strainer bags.
I also have the 32" 5 micron bag filter, to final polish.
That's 5 stages @ 2 to 5 gph.

I'm planning to use my standpipe mistwash tank with heat and bubbler to recirc the Methanol out.
The washtank will also be for settling and holding before the column system.
I will use 2stage process on cold upflowed oil which titrates @ 2g/l NaOH avg.

LE,
Question; I will process less than 1,000 gallons this summer.
Will 30 lbs of Purolite suffice? and how should it be divvied between the two columns- half & half?

Thanks
Brian

quote:

LE,
Question; I will process less than 1,000 gallons this summer.
Will 30 lbs of Purolite suffice? and how should it be divvied between the two columns- half & half?

GCG posted amount vs bed size here ; that said, I've used 50lbs split between two tanks which gave 19" in each. The recommended depth is 24" per tank leaving room for doubling of the mass with a little head room. My tanks cannot hold 24" so I just evenly split the 50lbs between 'em.

In '08 I put 4,342Lts through it and so far this year an additional 1600Lts for a total of 5,942 Lts / 1572 USgal and going strong. Demething using the technique popularised by Graham Laming's explanation of the chemistry involved is a must in extending resin life. I've converted what used to be my wash tank into a demething unit for this purpose.

By the end of the week I should know if I am getting another tank; the one I want is considerably bigger than the ones I am now using, this is so that there will be plenty of room for chips.The tank in question will need the same type of modifications I did to the other two, except I'll be using a PVC T into which will go the black iron T and screened at both the inlet ports of the PVC T and the iron T. The tank itself will be filtered to 10 microns before entering the resin beds. That is the plan in my head so far, I suppose things could change although I can't see it changing by much.

quote:

GCG posted amount vs bed size here

Excellent! Thanks for that. I dont know how you guys can remember and organize the best references.

I reference your website quite often, ever since you welcomed me to the forum on my 1st Dr. Pepper batch about a year ago.

So the tanks are plenty large enuff, so long as there is room for doubling expansion +, and calculate residence time (gph) or (2 BV/h).

Not sure when I'll get these tanks. I might get impatient and fab some..

Thanks again.
Brian