Domestos, the friend of light coloured oil?

[dgs]

 Over the years as I have introduced bio friends to my light coloured oil and biodiesel I have had comments about bleaching. of course they mean usually leaving the bio in the sun to bleach. However for a while the word 'bleach' has stuck with me and a few days ago I did a little experiment with domestos, yes domestos.

In a small separating funnel I added 50 mls of my typically overused black pub oil. I added approx 5 mls of domestos and 5 mls of water. I shook it up for 10 mins at ambient temperature and left it to settle for a day. At this point it didn't look good, in fact a bit of a mess.

The next day a watery layer had separated which I discarded and proceeded to add about 20 mls of glycerol which I shook up with the messy looking oil and again left this until the next day.

WOW! light coloured oil on top of glycerol. I will have to see if I can post a few pics but the difference is remarkable.

Would the proof of the pudding be to do a full size batch? I may give it a try after I price up a large bottle of domestos!

A wierd post I know but comments would be appreciated.

[countrypaul]

...
In a small separating funnel I added 50 mls of my typically overused black pub oil. I added approx 5 mls of domestos and 5 mls of water. I shook it up for 10 mls at ambient temperature and left it to settle for a day. At this point it didn't look good, in fact a bit of a mess.
...

A wierd post I know but comments would be appreciated.

Not sure how you shake for 10 mls 

Might be worth trying with smaller ration of bleach to oil allowing you to see how much is really needed. I thought that bleach itself only contains about 5g of sodium hypochlorite per 100ml (but it may vary). There is also a gelling agent in the thick bleach not sure if that could have a detrimental effect on the oil by leaving a residue, so might be worth trying a thin bleach.

I would try the above simple experiments before trying to scale up.

I suppose the biggest question might be is any chlorine left in the oil (does it chlorinate any of the oil) and what would be the consequences if it does? Pushing chlorine out the exhaust system might seriously shorten the exhaust life.

Very nice experiment though, keep up the good work

[dgs]

Thanks for the comments Paul, i will try some and report.

[countrypaul]

Dave,

This paper illustrates using sodium hypochorite and the improvement in conversion when using a catalyst. The experiments were run for a fixed time, so allowing longer might have the same effect. I haven't finished reading the whole thing but it does show that using bleach is more than just a one off.

[dgs]

Could you post a link in due course please Paul.

[nigelb]

Interesting experiment Dave. However, I'm sure the combustion chamber doesn't mind what colour the fuel is when it's squirted in.

[countrypaul]

Could you post a link in due course please Paul.

I suppose so    https://data.epo.org/publication-server/document?iDocId=23486&iFormat=2

[dgs]

Interesting experiment Dave. However, I'm sure the combustion chamber doesn't mind what colour the fuel is when it's squirted in.

Indeed but you know what I'm like.

[neisel]

.

[dgs]

It all depends how much glycerol you have left before w/washing as to how much it brightens it but we are talking oil colour here neisel.

[WesleyB]

When I worked at a fish and chips restaurant , the fryer oil was treated with magnesium silicate then filtered  , to remove breakdown materials and impurities .  The oil was probably lighter colored after treatment .  Decolorizing dark oil with bleach probably puts unwanted chlorine in it .  A principle in chemistry is if it's not put in , it doesn't have to be removed later .  An example of that is in 1860 opium was purified using a chemical that contained mercury .  The resulting morphine used in the American Civil War had a little mercury in it .  Mercury is a nerve poison in people and opiate users after the civil war got sick from the mercury in their pain medicine .  Putting bleach into vegetable oil may put chlorine into the biodiesel made with the oil .  The chlorine would come out in the exhaust . 

[dgs]

Thanks for that Wesley.

I've tried Magnesol and it worked fine and made the oil lighter coloured, however its ability to lighten was no where near the same as my present experiment.

[Tony]

Fascinating - I had no conception that such a thing would work!

[dgs]

Fascinating - I had no conception that such a thing would work!

Neither did i Tony. Then Paul posted the link about a patent being applied for to use Sodium Hypochlorite!