tilly, u still using that headliner?

Batch

Yes

Hello Skip

My name is still Tilly if that is what you mean.
It would cost too much to change all of my numbered Swiss bank accounts if I changed my name.

quote:

Originally posted by neutral:
Batch

Yes

Thank you, I'll have to try a batch that way.

My first batch ever was 83 liter WVO and 20 liter methanol with 500g NaOH. More than 1/5 methanol but I didn't want to pour it back again. I hate working with that stuff . Also the NaOH didn't dissolve entirely (crystals were found on the bottom of the methoxide tank a day later I gues about 100g), but apparently the 3 hour violent 80l/min circular pumping at 45'C was adequate to push the reaction through.

After the 3 hour pumping we switched off the pump. Settling began almost immediately. After a few minutes we could see the fluid become darker on the bottom. After an hour the separation was clearly visible. No soaps in between. One day later we drained off the glycerine and did a few different washing methods on the methylester. We took out a 500cc sample to wash and dry it quicly and got a very nice clear yellow biodiesel as a result. The main batch is still drying. The picture doesn't show the biodiesel as clear as it is in real.

Next batch will be 83 liter WVO again, 20liter (more than 1/5th) methanol and this time we will try to dissolve the NaOH properly using a hand mixer mounted on top of the tank. Shaking the tank didn't work quite well.

(Picture: on the left, 3 days used sunflower oil from a restaurant, on the right a sample of the first batch of biodiesel made of this oil. It's more clear in real than it shows on the image)

Hi all,
I recently became interested in this. I am a high school teacher in Portage, Mi. I have mentioned this topic to a few students and the Ecology teacher and they seem real interested. Called some local fast food places and found a restaurant that gave me some oil. I have since found out that chinese restaurants may have higher quality oil. I searched the web and found the Journey to Forever site. I titrated 1 ml. oil in 10 ml propanol and it took over 7.5 ml. 0.1 % NaOH to reach a pH of 8.5. So I made a test batch used 1 liter oil, 200ml. methanol and 10g NaOH. I cooked this for 2 hours with no lid at 45 degees C. Used a magnetic stirrer and hot plate mixed in a 2000 ml beaker. Got Jelly. Then I read more at the site and deciced on trying the Fool Proof method. Got Jelly. I have since read the controversy about this method. Live and Learn. Then I found this site and tried a variation of the Tilly Dr. Pepper Method. I started by making a test batch with some WVO that I had, peanut oil from a turkey frier. It titrated at .5 ml. using 0.1% NaOH with a 1 ml oil sample in 10 ml propanol. Made Bio very quickly using this variation of the Tilly method, Had access to a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer instead of Dr. Pepper bottle and heated mixture to 40 degrees C. Used 4 g NaOH and 230 ml. Methanol(didn't have 250ml at the time). Put a lid of Al foil on after reading that a lid is good. Then made a second batch used 1.2 liters used peanut oil and 280 ml. methanol, and 4.98g NaOH. Washed it let it set(dry), and it looks good. I think I will compare the viscosity of this biodiesel to some local gas station diesel before I put it in the test vehicle, my 2005 ford diesel engine. Especially in michigan in the winter. But that is another subject. Read some more on the subject of poor quality oil and now know that this fast food oil has a very high Free Fatty Acid content. I was hoping I could make quality Bio. from it. I found the FATTA method and I took 1 liter of the fast food oil mixed in 100ml methanol and 1.5 ml. conc. Sulfuric Acid. I mixed for 2 hrs. and 15 minutes and the pH is so low our pH meter won't register it. I added 15 ml. of 0.1% NaOH just to get the pH to 1.6. using our pH meter. Is this oil beyond hope or am I doing something wrong. Would like to get this project to fly. Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

i am completely new to bio des in using the dr peper mix for one liter mix it says to use 250 ml and 5g lie for one liter my question is how can it be cheaper per gallon to make if it cost me a dollar for a bottle a methly alc and it only makes one liter i have been told no question is too stupid to ask if one wants to knw the answer to it so im asking thank you

Hello cheapride
Methanol is much cheaper per litre if you buy it in 200 litre drums.
Most people will use 200ml methnol or less per litre WVO once they start production.
The Dr Pepper recommendation of 250ml is just to remove lack of methanol as a cause of failure.

cheapride,
No, it's not a stupid question.
The answer is that you need to find a cheaper source of methanol. The materials cost of bio making is generally quite low. Over in the States this difference isn't so noticable as it is in Europe. This is due to our high Diesel cost. Have a look around the site and see what others in your part of the world are paying for Methanol. And bear in mind that, even if you payed the same per litere for methanol that you do for gas, then if you are getting your oil/fat for free you are still in front as one litre of methanol will get you four or more litre of bio.

If you go to the FIND tab at the top of the page. click "advanced search', and then enter 'buying methanol' into the 'with the exact phrase' box, you may find something to help you get a better price.
regards
dva

Hi Tilly,
looks as if we were both writting our pieces at the same time. Apologies if I appeared to be hi-jacking the subject.
regards
dva

Hello Rick
For comparing viscosities have a look at the World Famous Dr Pepper Viscosimeter (Pat Pend)
When you check the pH of the acid/base batch did you do it in a titration?

hey yal aint gona believe it i started this as a hoby to see if i could do it well now i have a good reason to learn more a friend a mine found out i was doing it and he gave me a datsun diesel to use it in well this fiftythree year old man has just had one a the best christmas i could have i feel like a kid again i just wanted to share my happness with everyone this is great im so excited about this

now i have a question should i wash the fuel i make or is it ok to use it after the mix a methoxide is added and worked off and drained will it harm my freebe truck and should i do some special to the truck so it will use what i have made?

That, cheapride, is a question that has taxed (still is) the whole collective brain of this site. In the end it comes down to your own informed choice. To help you make that choice, go to the FIND tab. click it, un-click the small 'Search on this forum only' box, then type 'Washing' into the main box.
You will get 4002 hits. Have fun.
I never washed, but am tending towards it. still in the experimental stages. Yeah, after four year.
regards
dva

those Datsuns are great vehicles, if not too rusty- congratulations! Mine got 32 miles per gallon.

Mark

quote:

if not too rusty

Girl Mark,
What is a little rust to a person who is knee-deep in welding equipment ?
regards
dva

I wasn't knee deep in welding equipment at the time... unfortunately.

I'm not sure my truck had enough solid sheet metal to do ANY repairs at all- it had come from the seaside and had some really unusual rust patterns as a result of being parked at a marina most of its life.

I still think the king cab version were the best little diesel trucks available here. You can really load them down with 'stuff' and the king cab is a nice size for a small 80's truck.

Mark

Hi Tilly,
Thanks for the viscosity instructions, I will start looking for materials to build it. The way I checked the pH on the sulfuric acid/WVO mix was with a stand alone pH meter. Its a rather large piece of equipment with a probe. It has two buffer solutions that I periodically check it with. So I believe it is accurate. But there may be some problem, I tried to check the pH of the test batch bios. I made. When taken immediately after it was produced the pH was in the 7.4 range. But after it sat for a few days I was curious so I tried to check the pH and the meter will not read it. I guess its something about bio. not being a solution. Maybe there are some problems with a pH meter. To test pH I took 1 ml. reacted oil mixed it with 10 ml. of Propanol. Then I titrate with 0.1% NaOH. With the original WVO I did the same test using the pH meter. It takes about 7.5 ml. to have the meter read 8.5. I tried it with phenolphathalein but I thought I was more accurate with the meter. Sometimes titrating with phenol. I had to add so much before it turned color that the oil seemed to come out of solution. I am not a chemistry teacher, I teach physics now and biology in the past. But I can see if our school has Gas C. capabilities. I still have 10 gallons of the WVO from the fast food restuarant but have been unable to have any success with it yet. Thanks to you and the others with experience trying to help us "newbies" I was debating giving up on this until I found the utah biodiesel sight it has been a wonderful resource.

That last sentence doesn't look to good. Obviously I don't teach english. It should have read. I would like to thank you and the others with experience for helping us "newbies".

Hey Rick;
We're all newbies, just at different experience levels