It seems to me that you produced some soap that time.
All base processing creates soap.
What everyone keeps referring to as "glycerine" settling out of a
transesterification (base) reaction is for the most part soap, diluted with
methanol and glycerol.
The volume of glycerol per liter of oil processed is ~7.9% (~79 mililiters).
The excess alcohol present in this layer (glycerin cocktail) is ~65ml when
initially using 200 ml per liter. The balance is soap.
Different oil and fat feedstocks produce different types of soap. If your
feestock was primarily soybean oil on Monday but coconut oil on Tuesday, the
latter would in general yield a more solid glyc cocktail. If the feedstocks
were soybean oil on both days but Tuesday's was extremely degraded (high
FFA) then the latter would yield a harder glyc cocktail. If the feedstock on
Monday had less animal fat in it than that on Tuesday the latter would
generally yield a harder or more viscous glyc cocktail.
The same happens when using different catalysts. In soap making sodium
hydroxide (lye) is used to produce bar soaps (hard) and potassium hydroxide
is used to produce liquid soaps (solid like thick bread dough but more
soluble). When using potassium hydroxide the glyc cocktail generally never
thickens beyond that of maple syrup.
Hardened or thinned glyc cocktails don't necessarily indicate "mistakes" or
"correctness" in processing.
Todd Swearingen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jan Warnqvist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 3:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] liquid glycerine
Hello Paul.
It seems to me that you produced some soap that time. Did you measure the
FFA content before starting ?
Best regards
Jan Warnqvist
AGERATEC AB
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
+ 46 554 201 89
+46 70 499 38 45
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Tanner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 1:00 AM
Subject: [Biofuel] liquid glycerine
Hi,
I've been making Biodiesel (BD) for a few months, now.. using the Mike
Pelly method.. and a curious thing happened with the last batch (my
batches
are in approx. 160 - 180 litres).. the glycerine was liquid after the
reaction. This is the first time this has occurred for me, all other
times
the glycerine formed and settle in my tank, and was solid at low
temperatures.
I had measured accurately, the quantities of methanol, caustic soda and
volume of oil...( I had an interested observer, who can testify if
required!! :-) ) I watched the colour of the mixture change, as I was
agitating, from a light caramel colour to a dark molasses colour... then
observed the glycerine start to settle, as expected. At this time the
glycerine was quite warm, so was still liquid, however, I let the mixture
settle for a 2 week period and the glycerine has not set firm. maybe I
should not complain.. 'cos it was easy to drain out of the tank! :-)
Did the reaction not go far enough? Any further ideas on what has
happened??
regards,
Paul.
-------------------------------------------
Paul Tanner
Software IT Architect
Melbourne, Australia
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable):
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable):
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.4 - Release Date: 3/27/2005
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable):
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
