Stage 1.5 (messing about with the equilibrium)

[Glycer-rides]

I had more time processing yesterday, so I thought I'd try something I haven't done before. What I hoped didn't happen but I think it worth recounting for your delectation.

The 10/90 showed Stage one had 25% unconverted wvo (nice balance, thanks).
I drained what I guessed to be just under half of the glyc.
Mixed again for an hour.
The next 10/90 showed 40% unconverted wvo, pointing to the equilibrium shifting the 'wrong way'.

I added the full compliment of glyc that I'd removed and processed for another hour.
Next 10/90 was back to 25%.

The wvo had been glyc washed so I tend to find 16% meth works well, which was what I was using.
And 4g/L NaOH for the 'methoxide' (remember that stuff?).

[nigelb]

What made you do this experiment Andy..what where you expecting to happen when you did it?

[Glycer-rides]

I expected nothing to happen as the most likely outcome, Nige, although I hoped it would go in the desired direction.
The result seems logical, tho'...excess reactants / catalyst present.
It was a kind of variation on the request from yourself last year to continue processing after (all?) glyc was dropped, IIRC. I had tried that before and it didn't work.

[nigelb]

I expected nothing to happen as the most likely outcome, Nige, although I hoped it would go in the desired direction.
The result seems logical, tho'...excess reactants / catalyst present.
It was a kind of variation on the request from yourself last year to continue processing after (all?) glyc was dropped, IIRC. I had tried that before and it didn't work.

yeah..not my idea but one that Uncle H had used on the VOD. It seems that nobody who tried it got the same results as he did.

Your 25-40-25 results are rather odd. I think a chemist needs to look at this one.

Try a u2u to countrypaul on the VOD or Carrington on here. Both are good and reliable places in which to start. Too many folk have a stab at guessing and are so far removed that they tend to cloud the water somewhat.