Hey everyone, I have a few questions. I'm new to acid esterification and I've tried a coupek DR Pepper sized batches this weekend. I have yet to get much of a drop in titration. Initial titration has been in the 8-10 NaOH range. I heated the oil probably to a bit over 100 degrees and the lowest I could get the titration was around 5.5 or 6 NaOH. I've seen some posts on here that suggest very dry oil is important to this process is that so? I really have no effective way of getting BONE DRY oil...mine always has some moisture, not usually any free water. These batches did, but I was able to drain off the free water. I'm sure there's still some attached water in there. Thanks for advising a biodieseler in a pickle.
JD

Bone dry oil helps but its not required.
water in the acid stage stops the process so the drier the better.

if you're getting it to drop from 10 to 5 but that's not low enough for you. Try letting it settle the drain the stuff off the bottom. hopefully it very liquid like water. it should in fact be water, methanol, and H2S04. be sure to wear gloves. I checked the ph of some that I was draining this weekend and it was 2(using a ph test strip, not titration). Then recheck the titration. Ideally it'll drop a couple of points.

if you can switch to using KOH its better for processing the higher titrating oils.

-dkenny

Higher temperature would help speed the esterification. Also constant or frequent agitation.

How often did you shake it, and for how long?

Any idea how much water it would take to stop the acid stage? I've made passable(don't know if it was high conversion bio) with way more water than this in it. Of course that was with much lower titrating oil.

I don't know for sure I think it around 1%.

-dkenny