OK, just starting.
1) I added 1 gram of reobic lye to 1 liter of h2o. I didn't have a scale that read in grams, however I have a scale from reloading that reads in grains. I found a conversion of 15.43 grains per gram. This doesn't seem like much lye???
2) I added 1 ml of oil to 10 ml of heet with 2 or 3 drops of phenol red. I did a titration two times and got .4 Yes, .4 doesn't that seem extremely low? What could I have done wrong, or is it just great oil?
Wags

Phenol red is not the ideal indicator for titrating. Phenolpthalein or turmeric is preferred. Turmeric is easily made. Phenolpthalein is available, but not always readily so. Make sure the HEET is the red bottle, not the yellow one. It is EXTEMELY important that the solution is made accurately. The one gram must be weighed out very carefully and quickly. It absorbs water from the air affecting the weight. The one liter of water must be measured using accurate glassware. The other critical measurement is the 1mL of oil. How are you measuring that? Blanking the IPA before adding the oil is a good idea as well. HTH

Hi Wags,

You've got it. That sounds like great oil. Like Joe says, accuracy in the measurements counts, and a little off can throw your titration off by a lot. I've found that it works better for me if I pour off about 10 ml of the 1 liter of water into a small cup and add the lye to that small cup of water. That way your not in a rush to weigh out the lye.

I've put some video's showing how to titrate on my web site here.

The video's are homebrewed, so they're not flashy high quality, but they get the message across.

I think I just have good oil. I weighed the lye with a very accurate scale. (for gun powder) I only measured the water with a measuring cup. I'll get a graduated cylinder when I start producing. I measured the red heet with a graduated cylinder. I measured the oil and NaOH solution with an oral syringe from walgreens (two differeent syringes).

Rick...are you the same RickDaTech on the dieselplace website?

Made a Dr.Pepper batch last night. Great separation. Will wash and do the 3/27 test tonight or this week. Then start welding/cutting/making/etc.
Thanks
Steve
Oh, btw, did a blank titration with extremely close results.

Wags,

Congrats on the Dr Pepper Batch!

I'm on a number of forums, but I don't think I'm on the dieselplace, did you mean the dieselstop or some other site?

Rick...maybe, just remember seeing your name.
My question is....you are ceretainly aware of the duramax injector issues (02). Am I a fool for trying to add bio to my truck? I will install a nicktane filter ahead of the factory filter.
Thanks
Steve

Steve,
A couple of things, even a graduated cylinder may not be accurate enough for your measurements. Class 'A' lab glassware is the best and is what I use. I have a 1liter volumetric flask which is very accurate. I also weigh out the NaOH by adding it to a small amount of distilled water. Put the beaker of water on the scale, zero it out, then add one gram of NaOH to that. It does not matter about how hygroscopic it is, when done that way.
Secondly, GM has approved the Duramax for B5, and are working on B20. It's not the engine that is at issue. Make good quality BD and WASH IT WELL, and it will run fine in your Duramax.
HTH

Steve,

I'm not current on the duramax injector issues, but there are plenty of people running bio in the duramax. Like Joe says, make good fuel and it shouldn't be a problem.