Newspaper clears bio ... not sure I believe this myself!

[Julian]

I stuck some newspaper in a jar of cloudy Bio and hey presto lear bio BUT I forgot to take a sample as a base reference, I'll have to do it again now.

What a numb nut.

Any idea as to what was/is causing the cloudiness?

[Julian]

OK, I'm going in for the big one ... hanging full newspaper sheets in the settling barrel.  Wish me luck chaps.  If I don't post within the next few days, I bequeath the 200 ltr barrel of soap to Womble.

Will report back with photos.

[Chug]

Why is the biodiesel cloudy? what is the paper removing?

[Julian]

Why is the biodiesel cloudy? what is the paper removing?

From the first post ...

The bio was made using two stage ASM process (which I need to post about, as I also done something a little screwy with that which seems to work) and then acid washed, so the cloudiness may be sodium sulfate.

I'm not sure the paper is removing anything.  Looking at the last set of samples, which I emptied today, there appears to be comparatively large lumps floating about in the bio ... so I'm guessing that the paper may somehow cause the fine particles to conglomerate.

[greasemonkey]

Isn't their a lot of carbon on newspaper? There is something else as well, that makes people sneeze when they read paper. Makes my nose tickle a bit. Could this be something to do with it?

[Julian]

Not heard of that.  Keef's in the print business, wonder if he can help?

[Jamesrl]

There is something else as well, that makes people sneeze when they read paper. Makes my nose tickle a bit. Could this be something to do with it?

Could that be the solvents in the ink?

[Julian]

Update ...

This is the setup with the newpaper in the settling barrel ...



Six tabloid size bits altogether, two clipped to the side of the barrel and four threaded onto a piece of wire hung across the barrel.

After 24 hrs there was no noticeable difference, so I decided to bubble in order to get a bit of movement within the barrel.

This is the result after another 24 hrs ...



I don't believe this to be soap.  It doesn't feel at all soapy (when I get a chance I'll run a soap test to confirm) I suspect it's the "cloudiness" being coagulating and being brought to the surface.

To further reinforce this coagulating idea I skimmed the throth of the surface and sank the balance to leave the surface clear.  I then shook the paper up and down and this was the result ...



Looks like quite large lumps of "stuff", even visible in the photo.  I'll give it another 24hr to settle and post again.

[greasemonkey]

There is something else as well, that makes people sneeze when they read paper. Makes my nose tickle a bit. Could this be something to do with it?

Could that be the solvents in the ink?

Or the binder that holds the paper fibres together. No idea really.

[Rotary-Motion]

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-chemicals-are-used-in-newspaper-ink.htm#did-you-know

A number of different chemicals are used in producing newspaper ink, though the most prominent ingredient is typically soybean oil. This is called the “vehicle” in the ink and was previously usually made with petroleum oil,

[photoman290]

there is a lot of china clay in paper. that might well be having an effect.

[thewormman]

Isn't this just the same as the old Toilet Paper Oil Filter?

Frantz make the modern version:

http://www.frantzoil.com/TOILETPAPER.html

http://www.frantzoil.com/page/page/5651679.htm

[Keef]

there is a lot of china clay in paper. that might well be having an effect.

I don't thing there is any china clay in newsprint, it is mainly used in coated papers (gloss etc) and NCR.

I don't think there's enough ink involved to be contributing to this.

Newsprint is made almost entirely of wood pulp and I've read that for most papers they chemically remove the binder (lignin) but for newsprint it stays in.  Maybe its acting as a binder for whatever it is that's coagulating in your fuel?

[Tony]

Well I'm disappointed to report that my wodge of kitchen roll dangled in 125l of bio did nothig to clarify it - though I do now have an excellent firelighter.

Circulated through the drywash tower and it went back to crystal clear amber nectar.

[Julian]

Well I'm disappointed to report that my wodge of kitchen roll dangled in 125l of bio did nothig to clarify it - though I do now have an excellent firelighter.

Circulated through the drywash tower and it went back to crystal clear amber nectar.

No, I can't categorically say that the newspaper dangled in my 80 ltr batch had much, if any effect.  But then the ratio of paper area to bio was far greater in the samples than in the settling barrel.

I think it's one of those ideas that should be relegated to the "tried but didn't succeed" shelf.