Tell me how to dry my oil please.

[neisel]

That's it really.

Got 500 litres of free oil which is dirtier & bittier & a lot wetter than the stuff I normally get.

I know it's heresy to admit it but I never really bothered drying the stuff I've been using up till now. A glyc wash & away we go, with pretty much consistently good results except for the odd batch rich in soap. I started out drying my good oil by heating to about 80, circulating & leaving for an hour or so but only got a tablespoon of water so stopped.

With this new stuff I can actually see water in the bottom of the processor - it's got a glass panel.

Before you tell me the best way to get this stuff bone dry you should know:

My processor holds 140 litres of WVO

It has a lid on the top which tilts up.

Need any more info, please don't hesitate.

TIA.

[RichardP]

Do you have a venturi? If so it's dead easy and clean.

Heat the oil up and settle for a few hours or overnight, drop any free water that has settle out. Then fire up the pump with venturi open, heater on to get it back to 60c+. The air dragged in by the venturi will get the water out of the oil and then it's vented to atmosphere.I normally leave until there's no steam coming out the vent, then do a glyc wash as well.

If you don't have a venturi you really need an open top drum and use some sort of spray bar or diffuser to increase the surface area of the oil.

[neisel]

I have a venturi for sucking up methoxide but if I leave it out in the air (i.e.not submerged in liquid) my oil comes out of it.

Don't fancy trying that overnight.

[willbuild]

I have a venturi for sucking up methoxide but if I leave it out in the air (i.e.not submerged in liquid) my oil comes out of it.

Don't fancy trying that overnight.

Even if you lift the end of the venturi pipe  above the level of the oil?

[RichardP]

I was just going to say it sounds like the venturi may need repositioning.

[kamaangir]

Boil the shit out of it, I use to lose about 1/3rd in quantity after a good boil! My method for achieving the high temps with a 3kw immersion in a 60L drum would have sent any H&S officer into cardiac arrest but if you have a pid you can do it.

Once you have done the above give it a glyc wash too, it will take out more water and other shite.

[Tony]

I'm with Arash, boil the shit out of it, mine I take up to 105C on the condenser.

[neisel]

Do you boil it & circulate it with the roof off or ?

How long for?

Is there any water drop out after it settles?

[Jamesrl]

Here's how I dry my feedstock at 75c.


This is cool and wet oil, notice the foam on the surface.



Here it is nice and dry 90mins later.



After drying it get a good glyc wash before reacting.

[knighty]

I'm thinking of starting to make bio...

but... I thought the glyc wash just removed water.... so why bother if the oil is dry ?  or is it just to make sure ?

[RichardP]

I'm thinking of starting to make bio...

but... I thought the glyc wash just removed water.... so why bother if the oil is dry ?  or is it just to make sure ?

Doing a glyc wash as well will, in addition to removing any water, will reduce the FFA levels giving a better reaction and enable you to reduce the amount of chemicals used. Also, though I've never seen it, some see a partial conversion of the raw oil to bio during the glyc wash.

[neisel]

Thanks to all.

JamesRL's setup is similar to mine, though my spray is horizontal, so I'll give that a go.

James, when you've finished the drying & before the glyc wash is there any measurable water left in your oil?

What % of methanol & KOH would you start out trying on oil that has been dried using your method?

TIA.

[Jamesrl]

Thanks to all.

JamesRL's setup is similar to mine, though my spray is horizontal, so I'll give that a go.

James, when you've finished the drying & before the glyc wash is there any measurable water left in your oil?

What % of methanol & KOH would you start out trying on oil that has been dried using your method?

TIA.

I use ASM as the catalyst so produce very little water in the methoxide.

The ASM volume equates to 3g NaOH/ltr made up to 15% of batch size using reclaimed meth topped up with virgin meth, this gives me between 85 and 95% conversion for stage one bepending on feedstock ffa.

Stage 2 is dosed with the same ratio for any remaining  unconverted oil.

Stage 1 and 2 glyc is drained off and bio only demethed returning at least 4% of batch size.

Feedstock is stored in a 205 drum after sitting in 20ltr cans for several weeks, my drying tank is loaded from the storage drum so I never see free water.

As a matter of interest I do filter the raw wvo to 200 mic to remove water holding food particals.


Don't forget the old saying "Failing to prepare means you are preparing to fail".

[K.H]

I'm thinking of starting to make bio...

but... I thought the glyc wash just removed water.... so why bother if the oil is dry ?  or is it just to make sure ?

If you need any bits let me know, i owe you a few