Recent Posts

21

Chemistry and process / Re: Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by dgs on July 18, 2025, 10:48:37 AM »

Any idea how to get glycerol if I'm out of it?

Sorry, no. Thats why I mentioned the glycerol that you washed the oil with, not ideal but better than nothing. You can use pure glycerine but it is expensive here in the UK, i don't know about the States.

Anyone make bio who is close to you to help you out.

22

Chemistry and process / Re: Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by Sonex on July 18, 2025, 02:53:40 AM »

Any idea how to get glycerol if I'm out of it?

23

Chemistry and process / Re: Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by dgs on July 17, 2025, 05:02:07 PM »

The last time this problem came up, I ended up throwing out the whole batch and starting over.   

It's about a 35 gallon batch of oil.  I poured left over glycerin from a previous batch in it and let it settle out and drain off before mixing in about 6 gallons of methanol with approx 50 oz of KOH dissolved in it.

Does anyone know of a university lab, which would analyze a sample of what I have?

Don't throw the batch away, there will be plenty to salvage. i don't know why this has happened but I'm sure you will have had a reaction.

so....heat up your batch and add what glycerol you have (even the stuff you used to pre treat it with) when it cools you will have a layer of glycerol with bio on the top.

Do you know how to do a 10/90 dropout test.

24

Chemistry and process / Re: Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by Sonex on July 14, 2025, 02:20:18 AM »

The last time this problem came up, I ended up throwing out the whole batch and starting over.   

It's about a 35 gallon batch of oil.  I poured left over glycerin from a previous batch in it and let it settle out and drain off before mixing in about 6 gallons of methanol with approx 50 oz of KOH dissolved in it.

Does anyone know of a university lab, which would analyze a sample of what I have?

25

Chemistry and process / Re: Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by neisel on July 13, 2025, 01:14:07 PM »

"I've had this problem come up again.."

How did you fix the problem when it happened before?

Please include the quantities of chemicals, WVO etc you used. It might be helpful for those who understand chemistry.

26

Chemistry and process / Help! Reaction not happening.

« Last post by Sonex on July 13, 2025, 12:44:23 PM »

Having made biodiesel for years, I've had this problem come up again.  The oil titrated at about 4.  I mixed KOH in the methanol until it dissolved.  The mixture then got mixed into the heated up oil.  I stirred it up.  A couple hours later, I came to drain out the glycerin, but there was none.  No reaction took place.  WTF?

Could the oil contain cleaning agents, which stymie the reaction?  What should I do with this bad batch?

27

Chatter / Re: Meth

« Last post by dgs on July 09, 2025, 08:50:14 AM »

Can you recommend what to purchase?
Don't want to mess that up as well.

Looked on ebay and can't seem to find exactly the correct one. It has to be accurate in the correct range.

Virgin merhanol has a specific gravity of 0.79 so any water contamination increases that figure. I'll look at the wiki and see if there is any info.

28

Chatter / Re: Meth

« Last post by BANDIT2 on July 06, 2025, 11:44:29 AM »

Can you recommend what to purchase?
Don't want to mess that up as well.

29

Chatter / Re: Meth

« Last post by dgs on July 04, 2025, 01:59:55 PM »

I don't know if it's wet or low purity.
Unless low purity means its got more water in it and they are one and the same?

Not really, if there are low %ages of other solvents it lowers the purity but usually doesn't affect the yield as much as water. Just test it with a hydrometer, simple enough.

30

Chatter / Re: Meth

« Last post by BANDIT2 on July 04, 2025, 08:22:07 AM »

I don't know if it's wet or low purity.
Unless low purity means its got more water in it and they are one and the same?