Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum
Biodiesel => Chemistry and process => Topic started by: neisel on December 10, 2014, 08:36:03 PM
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Together with another member I've bought 800 litres of methanol which is in an IBC sitting on a garage floor in quite a confined space.
Can the panel recommend a safe & reasonably quick way we can get this stuff out of the IBC & into many 20 & 25 litre jerry cans?
TIA.
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Stick a hose in, suck it up and start a syphon.
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What does methanol taste like?
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I dunno, after a few mouthfuls of diesel/petrol/fish tank water I got pretty good at starting syphons.
If it were me if use one of the plastic pumps that create a syphon. Won't be fast but no risks.
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Obviously, bare in mind that the methanol, plus it's vapour, is somewhere between a grumpy king cobra and perished bungy jumping cord, in it's lethality.
The cobra, and the cord, probably taste nicer.
If you had a suitable pair of gloves, you could lower a pipe into the methanol, so it fills up, then stick your finger over the end as you pull the pipe out. That would start the syphon.
Once it gets so far down, like with 100 litres or so, you could wiggle the IBC onto some block to get the last bit out, or tip it back away from the tap, and let it out slowly into a container. That could be a bit messy mind.
Just don't smoke to many fags while your doing it.
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Roll ups only when dealing with the meths
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A pipe all the way to the bottom, sealed into the lid in some way, Then gently pressurise with a couple no more than a couple of psi of compressed air. That will force it all out down the pipe.
That is what I do with every 205litre drum of methanol I get. This is the attachment I use . . . . (http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr79/julesandtash/Biodiesel/20140504_114712_zpspjr7w7ic.jpg)
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If syphoning is not an option then do what I did and managed to get some pallets under it by jacking up either end alternately. Then a massive funnel and use the tap to empty in cubies!
Another method involves shrader valve long hose and an air pump.
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Find a cap that fits the ibc bottom port.
Drill it, and fit a tank connector
Fit a bit of hose to the connector, and screw on the cap.
Use the valve on the base of the ibc - the weight of the methanol above will push the fluid out (liquid finding its level and all that)
When you get near the bottom you may have to lie the 25ltr containers on their sides.
Or, lift (lever etc) the ibc up onto a couple of blocks, to just raise it that little bit.
DONT syphon it with your mouth. Its more deadly than you would think (10cc IIRC)
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On the ibc that I just got I used a barrel syphon from machine mart. Doesn't take long to fill a 25 Ltr container and will syphon to almost the bottom if you don't stop the flow, then use the tap for the dregs.
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Thanks everyone, couple of possibles we could use there.
Keep 'em coming!