Let's have a thread of where you all buy your KOH/NaOH/methanol. Try and keep it on-topic and in this format:

location
supplier and their address/phone number/website/hours:
purity (KOH is sometimes 90% or 85% pure)
Cost:
Special notes (ie is business license required, etc):

Mark

please note: some prices have changed, especially methanol, which went through an industry-wide spike in price during the summer/fall 2006

This message has been edited. Last edited by: girl mark,

location: Berkeley, Ca
supplier and their address/phone number/website: Pacific Coast Chemicals 2424 Fourth Street
Berkeley, California 94710
Phone: (510) 549-3535
Fax: (510) 549-0890
open M-F 9-4:30 or 4:00
also- many other locations throughout the West that I havne't checked into: http://www.pcchem.com/location.htm

purity
Cost: KOH currently stacks up to $65 a 50 pound bag. NaOH should be cheaper, I haven't checked in years
Special notes: need business license (I faxed them a first order on construction company letterhead), also this place is SLOW! bring a good book as youll be waiting for an hour for the warehouse. They dont' take credit cards. Call ahead and act professional, they still dont' understand biodiesel and may act suspicious of you if you don't sound like you know what you're ordering.

location: San Lorenzo, near Berkeley, Ca
supplier: ERC (engine Research Co) fuels http://www.ercracingfuels.com/
610 East Lewelling Blvd
San Lorenzo, CA 94580
(800) 445-1479
hours: M-F, 9-5, saturday 9-noon, hours vary slightly depending on racing season, no Sundays!

purity pure methanol
Cost: somewhere around $2.50-2.65 a gallon?
Special notes: Unlike Pacific Coast Chem, they know all about biodiesel and are very fast and friendly. Occasionally they'll be out, call ahead first. Bring your own carboys or drums to save on the drum deposit. They sell 15-gallon or 55-gallon quantities, or will fill your own "whatever" containers.

location: near Seattle Wa
supplier: Tarr, Inc 4510 B St NW # B, Auburn, Wa 98001 - (253) 859-2979
http://www.tarr-inc.com/

purity pure methanol

Cost: somewhere around $2.91 a gallon (as of 12/26/06), must buy 55 gallon drums
Special notes: delivery available.

Tarr now carries KOH:
purity80-90%
cost:50lbs bags of KOH for .97/lb

This message has been edited. Last edited by: girl mark,

location:Longview Wa
supplier: Wilcox & Flegel wilcoxandflegel.com
open 7:30-6, 940 industrial way longview 360 423 7600
purity pure methanol

Cost: 55 gallon drums at 2.49 a gallon, 5 gallon pails at 5.65 a gallon, $25 drum deposit on 55's
Special notes:
if anyone has comments or corrections please let me know and I"ll edit this post. I haven't bought from them myself.[/QUOTE]

location: mail order
supplier: chemistrystore.com
http://chemistrystore.com/Sodium_Hydroxide.htm
http://chemistrystore.com/potassium_hydroxide.htm

purity pure NaOH or 90% KOH,

Cost: $10 for a 2-pound pail.



Special notes:price is high but that might be OK for people who are just starting out. Still cheaper than Red Devil Lye used to be at some suppliers.

90% KOH is good enough for our purposes...

Location : San Jose, Ca

Supplier : Hill brothers Chemical
410 Charcot Ave
408-435-1313

Purity : 90% KOH or NaOH, NaOH might be 95% pure I can't remember.

Cost: .73 cents a pound KOH and .60 cents a pound NaOH.(50lb bags)

Special Notes: Call in advance so they can put on will call it will be much faster, no special license seems to be needed.

location: mail order or La Grange Il
supplier: http://boyercorporation.com/
The Boyer Corporation P.O. Box 10, La Grange, IL. 60525
Call Toll Free 1-800-323-3040

purity pure NaOH or 90%- 92% KOH flakes (dont' buy the liquid KOH)

Cost:
NaOH:
39.60 plus 24.70 shipping, for case of 12 2-pound cans
or
$40 for 4 10-pound bags plus $54.46 UPS shipping including hazmat charge

KOH: 47.53 for 12 2-pound cans plus 24.70 shipping
or
$48 for 4 10-pound bags plus 54.46 shipping/hazmat charges


Special notes:price is high but that might be OK for people who can't find a local supplier. Still cheaper than Red Devil Lye used to be.

90% KOH is good enough for our purposes...

They require that you send them a check the first time you order, then credit cards are OK after that .

[QUOTE]Originally posted by girl mark:
location: your local Lowe's hardware
supplier: Roebic branddrain cleaner is 99% pure NaOH

purity pure NaOH

Cost:
$7.68 for 2 pounds

Special notes: Still cheaper than Red Devil Lye used to be in most places.

the container lid can pop off easily if squished, be careful taking this home.

location: near(ish) Washington DC
supplier: methanol at Maryland INternational Raceway:
Maryland International Raceway
27861 Budds Creek Road
Mechanicsville, MD 20659
http://www.mirdrag.com

301-884-9833 (office)
301-884-9878 (fax)
301-449-RACE (24 hour hotline)

info@mirdrag.com


purity pure methanol

Cost: not sure


Special notes: It's blue dyed but that's fine. It was the cheapest in the DC area when I was there a year and a half ago. I think they'll pump into your own containers.[/QUOTE]

location: Ukiah California and Santa Rosa California
supplier: Redwood Oil Co
Santa Rosa:
455 Yoland Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-546-0766
707-546-0766
(ask for oil department when you get the maze of voicemail)

Ukiah: 50 West Lake Mendocino Drive
Ukiah, CA 95482
707-463-3100


purity pure methanol

Cost: $2.81 a gallon, $22.50 drum deposit/drum cleaning charge of which $10 is refundable

Special notes: I think that they dont; pump into your own drums, I've also heard years ago that they were able to get ethanol, but that might be incorrect.

location:mail order
supplier: http://www.braintan.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=P...egory_Code=Materials

purity 99% KOH

Cost: one pound: $3.25, 5 pounds, $15, 20 pounds, $55

Special notes: more expensive than using a local chem supply store, but still affordable enough.

For those in the North East.
http://www.mainelube.com/mlsmall.htm


Methanol in a 55 gal drum $123.+ -

someone posted this at biodieselbasics yahoogroup:

Methanol in Washington State:

Ronald G. Grogan
CHEMCENTRAL
6308 E. Sharp Ave.
Spokane WA
509 866 885 2605

All areas try
Cascade Columbia Distribution Co.
Greg Switzer
866 573 0600
they have outlets all over and usually local pickup for you.


I have no further info on these sources.

Methanol in NH

Windward Petroleum
Manchester, NH
800-343-3666

Had been $108 for a 55-gallon drum, delivered, but they've apparently recently gone up a fair amount, potentially to the $150 range.

Can also get it from Rymes Propane and Oil in Concord, NH
800-773-0309
Haven't bought any from them yet, so don't know the price.

Great thread - about time we did this!

Univar USA
(800) 556-2426
(401) 781-5600
175 Terminal Rd
Providence, RI 02905

50 lbs of NaOH for $30
55 Gals of Methanol for $152

They sell Business to Business but I have been able to get orders as a Co-op. All is on a pick-up basis (Delivery is expensive). Minimum order is $200 and all materials must be transported in a truck or vehicle with a separate compartment from driver/passengers (they are sticklers on this) and tied properly.

Rich

Methanol in Newark, Delaware
Hillside Oil Company
40 Brookhill Drive, Newark, DE 19702
(302) 738-4144

I just called them and confirmed they are still selling Methanol at $2.50 a gallon!!!!

They have a "gas pump" that you can buy it from in your own containers, as many gallons as you want. They are open Monday thru Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Mark

I get Methanol here(http://www.homeserviceoil.com/mango.html) for $2.50/gal.
Red Devil Lye for under $4.00 at the local IGA
grocery store.

Acedamy TX/ Central Tx or
Round Rock TX

Talk to Bobby Joe at 254-760-1633. He sells it at the racetrack in Academy for 2.00 a gallon.

He also delivers to Round Rock. Great guy and will put in just about anything you'll bring him including carboys or other HDPE containers. You can also put a deposit on a 55 gallon drum for 20.00 and return it for a refund anytime.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Reggie,

Portland, OR
Essential Wholesale, 8850 SE Herbert Court
Clackamas, OR 97015

Phone: (503) 722-7557

http://www.essentialwholesale.com

KOH, 2 lb

KOH 50 lb.

Pickup only, $6 for the 2 pound, $55 for the 50 pound. 90% purity. They also sell NaOH.