Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum

Biodiesel => Chemistry and process => Topic started by: Julian on November 25, 2018, 04:58:05 PM

Title: Reprocessing
Post by: Julian on November 25, 2018, 04:58:05 PM
I rather feel I ought to know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway!

When adding additional chemicals to stage two to try and get a fully complete reaction, can you just lob in a bit of ASM on the assumption that there is still excess methanol in the processor or do people make up a mix with additional methanol and then add that?
Title: Re: Reprocessing
Post by: Dickjotec on November 26, 2018, 09:15:45 AM
I guess it depends on the percentage of meth added at stage 1. As our vehicles would run on straight veg I don't usually bother with a full reaction but on the times I have then I have mixed the ASM with meth for the amount of oil unreacted. I might try just adding sone ASM next time and see what happens.
Title: Re: Reprocessing
Post by: dgs on November 26, 2018, 10:13:34 AM
I think it would more depend on how close the reaction was to the end point. In other words it works for a small amount of dropout. I've done this a few times using just ASM.
Title: Re: Reprocessing
Post by: nigelb on November 27, 2018, 08:22:51 AM
My viewpoint is that the catalyst requires the carrier, ie methanol, at all stages of the reaction, irrespective of what type it is. I understand what you say about ASM already being a methanol heavy solution but I wouldn't add pure ASM to a batch.

However, any experiments are always worthy of a try. Progression and change are often the results of the brave.