Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
- Original Message - From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 8:29 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Hi Chris, Have you tried the sugar catalyst for yourself yet? Looking forward to reading your results. Who is making this catalyst in the UK? or alternatively do you have a make it at home recipe? I would love to give it a go. I am also working on a continuous processor down here in Northants, although it seems I am a few steps behind you. I would be happy to compare notes if you want. Right now on ebay uk there are a couple of very useful looking peristaltic pumps that could be used for metered feeding of methoxide and wvo into a continuous processor. Please keep me posted on your progress Regards Bob I have just got a small sample of the catalyst. I plan to make 2x 0.5 litre batches on my hotplate stirrer. 1 with lye as normal 1 with sugar. I will boil off the excess methanol and measure the quantities of byproduct produced to compare the lack of soap claims. I will do some wash tests to see how clean the diesel is. looks like instant coffee granules, it would be quite easy to enclose a quantity in a mesh cylinder and place inside one of the reactor pipes after the pump. Or even have a short length of pipe with a strainer at the downstream end filled with the stuff, just pump the mix over it repeatedly. Just unscrew the length of pipe and 'top up' when required. Maybe a piece of translucent hose could be incorporated to give a visual indication of you catalyst levels. As long as it could be removed to top it up, or have an access point upstream of the strainer to pour more in it should work fine. Chris.. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Thanks for that again, are there alot of people makeing biodiesel in the UK? It is something that I have only heard on the news abit. How far are you from completeing your system has it took along time to put together, has your mate got the same system as yours. I know it sounds very nosey of me but I have not until now met anyone who can do it, its one the best things I have ever heard of.!! I am hoping to start soon and put a system together myself . I suppose it wounld make it alot easier to go and see a system or two working first? Is that what you have done? Cheers again Chris Mark From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 19:08:32 +0100 Mark` Cookson wrote: Chris Thanks for getting back to me that is great I would love to come down to sunny wigan and have a look. Thanks again for the methanol link too !!! Will contact you again soon. Cheers mate speak soon. Mark My mate got 3 drums from him today, he has put his prices up to £93 a drum. Not sure if he will just sell to anyone but if you get stuck let me know and I can always get a drum for you. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
at sustainablelists.org Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 19:08:32 +0100 Mark` Cookson wrote: Chris Thanks for getting back to me that is great I would love to come down to sunny wigan and have a look. Thanks again for the methanol link too !!! Will contact you again soon. Cheers mate speak soon. Mark My mate got 3 drums from him today, he has put his prices up to £93 a drum. Not sure if he will just sell to anyone but if you get stuck let me know and I can always get a drum for you. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
For chemical feed, have a look at some of the Medical Infusion Pumps: they will feed up to about 1L/min. The Gemini pumps are now becoming superceeded, so may be worth looking for (These are the ubiquitous Blue box pump that were seen in Hospital scenes on TV). These could be good for injecting measured liquid chemicals. regards Doug On Sunday 07 May 2006 5:59, Bob Carr wrote: - Original Message - From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 8:29 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Hi Chris, Have you tried the sugar catalyst for yourself yet? Looking forward to reading your results. Who is making this catalyst in the UK? or alternatively do you have a make it at home recipe? I would love to give it a go. I am also working on a continuous processor down here in Northants, although it seems I am a few steps behind you. I would be happy to compare notes if you want. Right now on ebay uk there are a couple of very useful looking peristaltic pumps that could be used for metered feeding of methoxide and wvo into a continuous processor. Please keep me posted on your progress Regards Bob I have just got a small sample of the catalyst. I plan to make 2x 0.5 litre batches on my hotplate stirrer. 1 with lye as normal 1 with sugar. I will boil off the excess methanol and measure the quantities of byproduct produced to compare the lack of soap claims. I will do some wash tests to see how clean the diesel is. looks like instant coffee granules, it would be quite easy to enclose a quantity in a mesh cylinder and place inside one of the reactor pipes after the pump. Or even have a short length of pipe with a strainer at the downstream end filled with the stuff, just pump the mix over it repeatedly. Just unscrew the length of pipe and 'top up' when required. Maybe a piece of translucent hose could be incorporated to give a visual indication of you catalyst levels. As long as it could be removed to top it up, or have an access point upstream of the strainer to pour more in it should work fine. Chris.. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Bob Carr wrote: - Original Message - From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 8:29 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Hi Chris, Have you tried the sugar catalyst for yourself yet? Looking forward to reading your results. Who is making this catalyst in the UK? or alternatively do you have a make it at home recipe? I would love to give it a go. I am also working on a continuous processor down here in Northants, although it seems I am a few steps behind you. I would be happy to compare notes if you want. Right now on ebay uk there are a couple of very useful looking peristaltic pumps that could be used for metered feeding of methoxide and wvo into a continuous processor. Please keep me posted on your progress Regards Bob I have just got a small sample of the catalyst. I plan to make 2x 0.5 litre batches on my hotplate stirrer. 1 with lye as normal 1 with sugar. I will boil off the excess methanol and measure the quantities of byproduct produced to compare the lack of soap claims. I will do some wash tests to see how clean the diesel is. looks like instant coffee granules, it would be quite easy to enclose a quantity in a mesh cylinder and place inside one of the reactor pipes after the pump. Or even have a short length of pipe with a strainer at the downstream end filled with the stuff, just pump the mix over it repeatedly. Just unscrew the length of pipe and 'top up' when required. Maybe a piece of translucent hose could be incorporated to give a visual indication of you catalyst levels. As long as it could be removed to top it up, or have an access point upstream of the strainer to pour more in it should work fine. Chris.. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ Tha catalyst is apparently made as follows: Place sugar into a sealed container and purge the air with notrogen, alternatively feed a small amount of nitrogen into the container during cooking to keep the air out. Heat to 350 degrees C and hold for about 15 hours (I think, not 100% on time) Then remove the burnt sugar and place in concentrated sulphuric acid at 150 degrees C for several hours. Wash repeatedly with deinonised water and then its ready for use. Have got a 2nd hand oven last week to try (dont fancy using the one in the kitchen as its going to need to go 100 degrees over the maximum!) will wire in a temperature controller next week and see if it can cope with the extra temperature. My processor is not continuous, but more like semi-continuous. I have designed it on the assumptions that: the more vigarous the mixing the quicker the reaction. the higher the temperature the greater the energy available to make the reaction happen the pressure needed because of the high temperature operation will also increase the energy available. I read a paper about some studies using 'supercritical' methanol and claims were made of reaction times on small samples being quoted in seconds! The processor consists of 3 stages each stage has a mixer and contains 6 litres. A pair of stainless pnumatic cylinders will push measured quantities of oil and methoxide in every x minuites (x to be determined my trial and error) the fresh mix will consist of 3 litres and will displace 3 litres from reactor 1 into reactor 2 where it will recieve another x minuites of mixing, the next charge will displace it into reactor 3 and so on until it gets spat out into an evaporator tower at a temperature where the methanol should start to flash off immediately. After leaving the heated evaporator it will enter a seperating tower sized so that seperation only has to occur over about 2.3cm of depth. The products will be injected into the seperating tower at the point of seperation and this will allow a good several hours of seperating time before it overflows from the top. Glycerine will be drained automatically using an optical sensor at the bottom of the tower. I need to experiment with the results of Magnesol washing to see if the wash stage can also be included into the processor. I currently produce only about 4-500 litres a month and I collect my oil monthly. The legislation in the UK means I have
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Hellow Chris I am in the UK too [Lancashire].Could you help me out as to where are the best places for putting a kit together [what is your semi-processor and where can you get methanol from? Much appreciated!! Regards Mark From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Subject: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 22:13:34 +0100 My semi-continuous processor should be operational in about 3-4 weeks. 18 litre capacity, estimated production of 3 litres per 5 minuites. In the UK the environment agency insist on expensive waste management licenses if you produce diesel in batches exceeding 100 litres, but have no regulations limiting the storage of WVO or biodiesel. I am trying to increase my production without falling out of this loophole. If all goes well I should be able to scale up 500% and produce 3 litres per minuite without being naughty in the E.Agencies eyes! Has anyone been using this sugar/acid catalyst thats all the talk at the moment on various forums? Just wondering how people are finding it. I am VERY interested in the sugar catalyst as it appears to produce zero soap. It esterifies as well as transesterify so yield/waste ratio should be significantly higher. A friend tried a small batch and it reacted much quicker than with lye and after seperation the catalyst fell out to be re-used (doesnt dissolve in the mix and is filtered out) and the diesel produced was bottled with water, shaken for several minuites and then after rapid seperation the water was clear. Sounds too good to be true but it seems to be! No more premix catalyst, no more titration, no more washing, no more soap! Hmm... I need to try some I think. It can also be home made! Also I can see advantages with regard the byproduct. Am I correct in saying that the soap is causing the problem with burning the byproduct as a heating fuel? If so then maybe using this method it can be preheated and fed through a waste oil heater, or a mother earth burner? I feel we need to all start doing some experiments with this catalyst and gain as much info as possible as I feel it could be a significant step forwards as long as there are no problems. Having a 2nd hand oven delivered tomorrow to start cooking some sugar to try. Chris Bennett.. I am not suffering from insanity, I am loving every minuite of it! ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Mark` Cookson wrote: Hellow Chris I am in the UK too [Lancashire].Could you help me out as to where are the best places for putting a kit together [what is your semi-processor and where can you get methanol from? Much appreciated!! Regards Mark I am in sunny Lancashire too, Wigan to be exact. I get my methanol from a guy in Burscough nr Ormskirk. Most of my current kit is either scrapyard or ebay in origin. The semi processor is stainless steel construction and I got the tubing etc form a company in Bradford. The controls etc are once again ebays finest. Its not up and running yet, it might not even work! Will keep u informed and if u want you can come over and have a look when it starts spitting fuel out! Chris.. If you want the guys number for the meth let me know. He charges about £80-90 for a 205l drum. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Chris Thanks for getting back to me that is great I would love to come down to sunny wigan and have a look. Thanks again for the methanol link too !!! Will contact you again soon. Cheers mate speak soon. Mark From: Chris Bennett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 13:41:54 +0100 Mark` Cookson wrote: Hellow Chris I am in the UK too [Lancashire].Could you help me out as to where are the best places for putting a kit together [what is your semi-processor and where can you get methanol from? Much appreciated!! Regards Mark I am in sunny Lancashire too, Wigan to be exact. I get my methanol from a guy in Burscough nr Ormskirk. Most of my current kit is either scrapyard or ebay in origin. The semi processor is stainless steel construction and I got the tubing etc form a company in Bradford. The controls etc are once again ebays finest. Its not up and running yet, it might not even work! Will keep u informed and if u want you can come over and have a look when it starts spitting fuel out! Chris.. If you want the guys number for the meth let me know. He charges about £80-90 for a 205l drum. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Mark` Cookson wrote: Chris Thanks for getting back to me that is great I would love to come down to sunny wigan and have a look. Thanks again for the methanol link too !!! Will contact you again soon. Cheers mate speak soon. Mark My mate got 3 drums from him today, he has put his prices up to £93 a drum. Not sure if he will just sell to anyone but if you get stuck let me know and I can always get a drum for you. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Jason Katie wrote: they a discussing the sugar catalyst in detail at http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/419605551/m/9771067631/p/1 if i am reading these people's experiences right, the catalyst is made by partially breaking down a sugar molecule by heating it, and then introducing an acid (H2SO4). this creates a nanobot of sorts by attatching the acidic molecules to the pyrolized sugar near a basic branch, giving us the acid/base process on an infinitely small scale repeated trillions of times per second, and barely depleting the catalyst (theyre still debating useful lifespans of the material). i cannot vouch for any of these statements as true or false, but with all the research going on around the subject, and the fact that these people have attempted it, then it may have an extreme value if not interest. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ I have just got a small sample of the catalyst. I plan to make 2x 0.5 litre batches on my hotplate stirrer. 1 with lye as normal 1 with sugar. I will boil off the excess methanol and measure the quantities of byproduct produced to compare the lack of soap claims. I will do some wash tests to see how clean the diesel is. looks like instant coffee granules, it would be quite easy to enclose a quantity in a mesh cylinder and place inside one of the reactor pipes after the pump. Or even have a short length of pipe with a strainer at the downstream end filled with the stuff, just pump the mix over it repeatedly. Just unscrew the length of pipe and 'top up' when required. Maybe a piece of translucent hose could be incorporated to give a visual indication of you catalyst levels. As long as it could be removed to top it up, or have an access point upstream of the strainer to pour more in it should work fine. Chris.. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
My semi-continuous processor should be operational in about 3-4 weeks. 18 litre capacity, estimated production of 3 litres per 5 minuites. In the UK the environment agency insist on expensive waste management licenses if you produce diesel in batches exceeding 100 litres, but have no regulations limiting the storage of WVO or biodiesel. I am trying to increase my production without falling out of this loophole. If all goes well I should be able to scale up 500% and produce 3 litres per minuite without being naughty in the E.Agencies eyes! Has anyone been using this sugar/acid catalyst thats all the talk at the moment on various forums? Just wondering how people are finding it. I am VERY interested in the sugar catalyst as it appears to produce zero soap. It esterifies as well as transesterify so yield/waste ratio should be significantly higher. A friend tried a small batch and it reacted much quicker than with lye and after seperation the catalyst fell out to be re-used (doesnt dissolve in the mix and is filtered out) and the diesel produced was bottled with water, shaken for several minuites and then after rapid seperation the water was clear. Sounds too good to be true but it seems to be! No more premix catalyst, no more titration, no more washing, no more soap! Hmm... I need to try some I think. It can also be home made! Also I can see advantages with regard the byproduct. Am I correct in saying that the soap is causing the problem with burning the byproduct as a heating fuel? If so then maybe using this method it can be preheated and fed through a waste oil heater, or a mother earth burner? I feel we need to all start doing some experiments with this catalyst and gain as much info as possible as I feel it could be a significant step forwards as long as there are no problems. Having a 2nd hand oven delivered tomorrow to start cooking some sugar to try. Chris Bennett.. I am not suffering from insanity, I am loving every minuite of it! ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
they are discussing the sugar catalyst in detail at http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/419605551/m/9771067631/p/1 if i am reading these people's experiences right, the catalyst is made by partially breaking down a sugar molecule by heating it, and then introducing an acid (H2SO4). this creates a nanobot of sorts by attatching the acidic molecules to the pyrolized sugar near a basic branch, giving us the acid/base process on an infinitely small scale repeated trillions of times per second, and barely depleting the catalyst (theyre still debating useful lifespans of the material). i cannot vouch for any of these statements as true or false, but with all the research going on around the subject, and the fact that these people have attempted it, then it may have an extreme value if not interest. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sweet catalyst continuous processes
Some students at Wake Forest University in North Carolina used a sugar based catalyst as a pretreat step before base transesterification. Here are their blog posts on the results of the experiment. (http://wfubiofuels.blogspot.com/) Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Sugar Catalyzed Reaction Recently there has been a lot of buzz by a Japanese group’s solid acid catalyst made from sugar (Nature, vol. 438, p 178, 2005). They reported converting FFA’s to the ethyl esters. This catalysis is special because it is hydrophobic and consists of sheets of fused rings with covalently attached SO3H groups. Our group decided to make some and see how well it works. Making the catalysis was easy. We took 2 g of sucrose and heated at 400C for 15 hours under nitrogen. The remaining 0.5 g (loss of mass is due to dehydration of the sugars) was ground and heated to 150C in concentrated H2SO4 for 15 hours under nitrogen. After washing and drying, the yield was 0.61g (about a 30% mass return from the starting amount of sucrose) From reading (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2005, 44, 5353-5363) about solid acid catalyst we saw where most reactions were using 1 to 5% catalyst by weight. Also the WVO we are using is not tremendously high in FFA based on some initial titrations. So the rational for using this catalysis was to convert any FFA’s to the methyl ester in a fashion that would make the subsequent base step much easier. We also wanted to see if this reaction could also be used to convert the oil over to the FAME. This would mean using a large excess of MeOH. Here were the conditions: 12 g WVO 12 g MeOH (100% by weight, large excess to try to push oil over to ester) 0.6 g Cat (5% by weight or about 40 g/L) Heat at 75 C for 12hours (again long reaction time for the oil to convert) After heating, the reaction was filtered and the catalyst was washed with 20 mL THF and 20 mL hexanes. Solvent was removed by rotary evaporation. The pale yellow oil was centrifuged for 15 min yielding a small pellet of glycerin. So workup is very easy. The small amount of glycerin instantly indicated that the most of the oil did NOT convert over to the ester as wished. Using 13C NMR and comparing to authentic samples we could see that the major component was oil with a small (~10% to 15%) amount of FAME. Actually more FAME than I expected so maybe some of the FFA’s were converted over? So it looks like it worked so far. I suppose the real test will be the behavior of the “pretreated” oil under base conditions? If the FFA’s were indeed converted over to the methyl ester then the base step should be much easier to process. So next is to setup a base catalyzed reaction and see how it behaves. Tuesday, December 13, 2005 UPDATE: Sugar Catalyzed Reaction We already know the feed stock oil requires 8 to 9g/L of NaOH when used as is. But after pretreatment with the sugar catalyst I regarded it as virgin oil. I used 3.5g/L of NaOH and 25% by volume MeOH. I heated to 65 C for 3 hours under nitrogen. I also used a reflux condenser to stop MeOH loss. I separated the glycerin off and washed three times with dilute HCl. Then a final water wash. I did not see a lot of emulsion unless I used distilled water??? The washed product was heated to 60 C and allowed to cool overnight. The FAME was transparent and light amber in color. I performed a GC analysis and it passed the GC test. So at least on a small scale (10 g oil) the pre-treatment shows promise. I suspose how well this works for a range of FFA levels as well as how scale effects matters remains to be seen. Now that classes are over I want to try making a few more acid and base heterogeneous catalysis. ~leif ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
