Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum

General => Chatter => Topic started by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 08:17:02 PM

Title: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 08:17:02 PM
Due to the relocation of my plant 10 miles away, and the lack of time I can spend there in one go,
I'm thinking of going back to KOH, this way I can leave it mid reaction without worrying about blocked pipes.
It'll also be easier for gly washing and gly disposal.

The down side may be the price, how much is 25kg of KOH now ?

My other option is just filtering oil, but I'm not keen on that idea.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: nigelb on June 20, 2013, 08:33:43 PM
My supplier can do a bag for £40 Mark.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: julianf on June 20, 2013, 08:46:50 PM
I dont know the costing per kg, but remember you need aprox 40% more (base 7 against base 5) koh than naoh.

I used koh all through last winter, and will be very tempted to buy some more this comming winter, assuming i have not sorted my winters supply out over the summer...
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Soupstone on June 20, 2013, 08:47:17 PM
My supplier can do a bag for £40 Mark.

 Would you be able to get a postage quote on that to Central Scotland?

 Will be needing some over the next wee while.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 09:18:49 PM
I still have around 6kg of NaOH, so as I'm just a little tight (I'm sure I've mentioned this in the past) I'll be using that up before buying any KOH.

I'm also looking into putting two heaters into my feed/dewatering tank and reactor,
as this should more than half the heatup times (twice the heat input with the same thermal losses),
the two in the feed/drying tank will run off standard stats,
the existing reactor heater still controled by PID/SSR and the second one just off a stat set at 60°C.

I added a heater to my wash tank last week, using a soldered flange, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be,
so I'm now confident about doing it again.

I've also found a place around the corner from the workshop that sells 18" element for £13, which I thought was a good price.

There I go again, making plans for post BBB, when will I learn.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: nigelb on June 20, 2013, 10:05:16 PM
My supplier can do a bag for £40 Mark.

 Would you be able to get a postage quote on that to Central Scotland?



Contact Barry at Chempac solutions....google the company and get the number from there. My phone's downstairs on charge and cant be arsed. Let me know how you get on
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Jamesrl on June 20, 2013, 10:24:08 PM
Due to the relocation of my plant 10 miles away, and the lack of time I can spend there in one go,
I'm thinking of going back to KOH, this way I can leave it mid reaction without worrying about blocked pipes.
It'll also be easier for gly washing and gly disposal.



Why not find out what ratio of NaOH and KOH results in a liquid Gly, maybe the best of both worlds.

I'm sure that info is on here somewhere. 
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 10:33:37 PM
Due to the relocation of my plant 10 miles away, and the lack of time I can spend there in one go,
I'm thinking of going back to KOH, this way I can leave it mid reaction without worrying about blocked pipes.
It'll also be easier for gly washing and gly disposal.



Why not find out what ratio of NaOH and KOH results in a liquid Gly, maybe the best of both worlds.

I'm sure that info is on here somewhere.

Good point, I supose as long as the mix is adjusted during winter it will be ok.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Julian on June 20, 2013, 10:36:41 PM
Due to the relocation of my plant 10 miles away, and the lack of time I can spend there in one go,
I'm thinking of going back to KOH, this way I can leave it mid reaction without worrying about blocked pipes.
It'll also be easier for gly washing and gly disposal.



Why not find out what ratio of NaOH and KOH results in a liquid Gly, maybe the best of both worlds.

I'm sure that info is on here somewhere.

That's quite a clever idea ... I don't care what the others say, you do some times have good ideas, Jim.

Don't think there's any info on the wiki about it.

Something to experiment with Mark ... it could be your Swan Song.
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 11:06:55 PM
Due to the relocation of my plant 10 miles away, and the lack of time I can spend there in one go,
I'm thinking of going back to KOH, this way I can leave it mid reaction without worrying about blocked pipes.
It'll also be easier for gly washing and gly disposal.



Why not find out what ratio of NaOH and KOH results in a liquid Gly, maybe the best of both worlds.

I'm sure that info is on here somewhere.

That's quite a clever idea ... I don't care what the others say, you do some times have good ideas, Jim.

Don't think there's any info on the wiki about it.

Something to experiment with Mark ... it could be your Swan Song.

Swan song, yeah right, I haven't got time to make fuel at the mo, let alone experiment with it.

This last batch has been a nightmear, I was stort on time so couldn't dry the oil as well as I'd have liked,
this led to me using your "add a bit more catalyst" method, which worked.
Then the first wash (after a post reaction prewash) turned into emmulsion, so I added some gly (about 20L),
that didn't work,
I used the last of my hydrocroric acid to try and break it,
that didn't work,
so I drained the acid out of an old car battery and added that a bit at a time,
that looked like it was working,
but next day (today) only partly split and no more acid,
I heated 1/2L and that split it,
with time short I split the batch into both the reactor and the wash tank so I could heat it quicker (heater in both tanks).

So tomorrow I hope I can get another wash done.

All this has been done over 6 or 7 days and 100 miles traveled to do it.

Anyone want 200L of emmulsion ?
Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Julian on June 20, 2013, 11:17:02 PM
To go with your 200 ltrs soap that's still sitting in my back garden you mean?

Title: Re: KOH maybe the way forward
Post by: Head Womble on June 20, 2013, 11:27:34 PM
To go with your 200 ltrs soap that's still sitting in my back garden you mean?

Thats very kind of you to offer it a new home, I didn't realise how good a friend you were.