Washing out monoglycerides.

[Twenty4Seven]

Yes, you can think of an equilibrium reaction as a see-saw with the reagents on the left and the products on the right. Remove some product and the see-saw tips down to the left. Then Le Chatelier's principle comes into play and tries to balance the see-saw by making more product. It can only do it if there are sufficient reagents on the left hand side of course and you're right, that is why we remove the glyc after stage 1.

Nick

[Manfred]

So are these Monos a product of using the 10/90 to reduce the Chems to get a clear pass instead of titrating and doing a 80/20 split. If so what % overdose on stage two do you think would clear them up. Also if you did overdose stage two would it create excess soap or would the excess Chems come out with the glycerol.

[dgs]

Bill and Twenty4Seven,
I realise the principles of the reaction but what I'm trying to say is that because the mono's are effectivley invisible to the 10/90 test then if you de-meth and settle who knows what % you still have in your bio.

I know I'm guilty of always looking into these things with too much detail and after all have never had any troubles with any vehicles using bio over the years, but I always try to get to the bottom of things (even if there is nowt I can do about it)

Intentionally creating an emulsion with the mono's at the back end of water washing makes them 'visible' and they can be removed.

Manfred, I wish I could answer your question with any degree of accuracy. I don't think they show themselves because of using the 10/90 and not titrating. Even titrating is not accurate on oils titrating above @ 3.0 (a factor of something like 1.15 has to be included into the base + titration formula.)

Why don't you stay on the safe side and add 'say' 30 gms KOH to a 150 litre batch after a clear 10/90 and see what happens when you wash OR leave the last reaction mixing for an extra 30 or 60 mins. After all I didn't get any mono's using the MM process, but up to 7 hours was a hell of a long time to mix!

[Bill]

Yes that's what I was suggesting, you will always have mono's and who knows how much. At least until you water wash to 'flush them out' of hiding.