Howdy Tom, I am surprised that the method works at all. There is a
fundamental problem with the pKa's of ethanol and methanol. the
equilibrium
KOH + EtOH <--> KOEt + H2O
favors the left side of the equasion
whereas for methanol
KOH + MeOH <---> KOMe + H2O
favors the right side.
The only way I know it would work is if you generate the KOEt via an
alternative route as I suggested before. Use K, KH, or dry the ethoxide
mixture via azotropic distillation.
Tom Irwin wrote:
> Hi Bob,
>
> I use density to determine the purity of the ethanol and a mass balance
> to check on my 3A regeneration technique. I have a fairly good Metler
> balance (PR 203) that reads to the third decimal place so should be
> accurate to the second. The procedure I'm trying to duplicate is the one
> on JTF.
>
> *Ethyl Ester Process Scale-up and Biodegradability of Biodiesel*"
>
> FINAL REPORT, No. 303, November 1996
>
> For the United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State
> Research Service, Cooperative Agreement No. 93-COOP-1-8627
>
> University of Idaho, College of Agriculture, the University of Idaho.
>
> Is another method more reliable?
>
>
>
> Tom Irwin
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* bob allen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> *To:* Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> *Sent:* Thu, 15 Sep 2005 20:17:27 -0300
> *Subject:* Re: [Biofuel] ethanol method
>
> Tom, two questions, 1. how do you know the ethanol is being dried?
> and 2. what procedure are you
> using for bioD from ethanol?
> Tom Irwin wrote:
> > Hi Bob and all,
> >
> > I seem to be having fairly good success drying 95% ethanol with 3A
> > molecular sieve. I still have horrible problems making BioD with
> 100%
> > ethanol (purchased)but I´m still working on it.
> >
> > Tom Irwin
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > *From:* bob allen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> <javascript:kh6k0("new","[EMAIL PROTECTED]")>]
> > *To:* Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> <javascript:kh6k0("new","Biofuel@sustainablelists.org")>
> > *Sent:* Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:23:08 -0300
> > *Subject:* Re: [Biofuel] ethanol method
> >
> > It is not easy, due to the fact that ethoxide, can't be made by the
> > combination of sodium or potassium hydroxide and ethanol, as one does
> > with base plus methanol to form methoxide. It can be done however via
> > alternative ways of making the ethoxide:
> >
> > K + EtOH ---> K(+) (-)OEt + 1/2 H2
> >
> > KH + EtOH ---> K(+) (-)OEt + H2
> >
> > (don't try this at home- wildly flammable materials involved)
> >
> >
> > or for someone with good laboratory skills:
> >
> > combine EtOH (absolute) + KOH, then distill off 95% Ethanol/5% water
> > azeotrope to remove water, shifting the equilibrium to form the
> > ethoxide
> > ion.
> >
> >
> > The problem is that you remove a lot of ethanol to get a small amt of
> > water out. (there are ways to recover absolute ethanol via a ternary
> > azeotrope, but I seriously doubt if it is either cost or energy
> > effective.
> >
> >
> >
> > Kuba-tlen wrote:
> > > Does anybody know how to do a biofuel usin ethanol? I mean 92%
> > ethanol,
> > > not dry ethanol. I've read that it is possible. O maybe somebody
> > knows
> > > how to easily dry ethanol?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> > --
> > Bob Allen
> > http://ozarker.org/bob
> >
> > "Science is what we have learned about how to keep
> > from fooling ourselves" — Richard Feynman
> >
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>
> --
> Bob Allen
> http://ozarker.org/bob
>
> "Science is what we have learned about how to keep
> from fooling ourselves" - Richard Feynman
>
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--
Bob Allen
http://ozarker.org/bob
"Science is what we have learned about how to keep
from fooling ourselves" — Richard Feynman
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