Nonsense, in large part, but perhaps not entirely so. The idea that caustic potash or sodium has to be dissolved by adding water is pure unadulterated nonsense. And, in fact, doing so increases the propensity for soap production and reduced yield of biodiesel.
The fact is that when either caustic potash and sodium hydroxide are dissolved in methanol, the very presence of OH lends to the formation of some water. It's inevitable. But again, this idea that some water has to be used (to be read "added") to achieve dissolution is highly propigated balderdash. Todd Swearingen Andres Secco wrote: > Dear Tom, > The only way to KOH or NaOH to activate the Methanol is acting as a > strong base. Without some water in the system it doesn´t work. > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Tom Irwin <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > *To:* Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > <mailto:Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> > *Sent:* Thursday, February 16, 2006 4:54 AM > *Subject:* Re: [Biofuel] Trying to produce biodiesel in laboratory > scale > > Andres, > > Doesn´t the water poison the catalyst and give you saponification > reactions? > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* Andres Secco [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > *To:* Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > <mailto:Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> > *Sent:* Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:37:16 -0300 > *Subject:* Re: [Biofuel] Trying to produce biodiesel in > laboratory scale > > Dear Duarte, > The basic reaction you are doing is a nucleophilic reaction > were the methoxide replaces the glycerine in the fatty acid. > So you get free methylstearates (if the oil have stearic > acid). This substances called methyl-Stearates or Linoleates > are the Biodiesel. > Now, I have some questions > What kind of methanol do you use, absolut? Try using a 96% > instead and add some water to it 20 ml. It must be ready for > use in 1 hour and is far less toxic than the absolut. > What I see is the following. The non reacted glicerine still > have some unreacted portions which act as emulsifiers and do > emusify some polar phase in the biodiesel. > Once you separate the upper phase add more methoxide and > separate again. Must be much clearer. > Try rinsing with alkaline water too. > > snip > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > 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/ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Visita *www.tutopia.com > <http://www.tutopia.com/bannerserving/banman.asp?ZoneID=0&BannerID=3174&AdvertiserID=776&CampaignID=2424&Task=Click&Mode=TEXT>* > > y comienza a navegar más rápido en Internet.*Tutopia* es Internet para > todos. Web Bug from > http://www.tutopia.com/bannerserving/banman.asp?ZoneID=0&BannerID=3494&AdvertiserID=776&CampaignID=2739&Task=Get&Mode=TEXT > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >_______________________________________________ >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/
