Success, I think.

[Gordon]

Hello all,

After many failed attempts and plenty of solid jelly-like outcomes, I think I've succeeded. So, I thought I'd use this outcome to introduce myself. Hi. I'm no chemist, so simply followed instructions as closely as I could, to achieve this...



What's the simplest way to test that I have indeed succeeded?

[RichardP]

3/27 or 10/90 test. http://biopowered.co.uk/wiki/3/27_test

[nigelb]

What exactly are we looking at? There is a genuine reason for asking?

[dgs]

What exactly are we looking at? There is a genuine reason for asking?

He's just pleased with himself Nige. Remember the feeling of success with your !st batch.

[dgs]

Hi Gordon, welcome to the Forum.

Richard means one of these.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125260439681?hash=item1d2a1aa081:g:ZG8AAOSwAXFiWIgh

I keep them in stock, pm me.

[nigelb]

What exactly are we looking at? There is a genuine reason for asking?

He's just pleased with himself Nige. Remember the feeling of success with your !st batch.

The reason for asking is this. Is what we are lookingvat glycerine and bio. If so, its the clearest bio I've ever seen. It could also be taken as the result of a water shake em up test considering the clarity of the upper layre...but the water is on top instead of the bio.

I get the same euphoric reaction every time I brew..

[Gordon]

The reason for asking is this. Is what we are lookingvat glycerine and bio. If so, its the clearest bio I've ever seen.

Hi there. This is exactly the observation that provoked my question.
This outcome seemed far more clear than I was expecting, and so I was suspicious that I had simply somehow created a jar of water.

However, this photo is a result of me mixing 500ml sunflower oil, 100ml of Methanol and 2.8g of NaOH at 56C for 10 mins, then leaving it to settle overnight.
But strictly speaking, I have no idea what I'm doing, as chemistry ain't my particular speciality.

I assume the glycerol is at the bottom, which means the oily substance at the top is what I'm after. However, it looks way clearer than I was expecting.

So, I figured I'd use my consternation as a way of saying hi.

[Gordon]

He's just pleased with himself Nige. Remember the feeling of success with your !st batch.

Yes, I am somewhat surprised by how pleasing this outcome was - assuming, of course, that I have achieved what I set out to achieve.

[Gordon]

Hi Gordon, welcome to the Forum.

Hi, and thanks very much.

Richard means one of these.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125260439681?hash=item1d2a1aa081:g:ZG8AAOSwAXFiWIgh

Ah ha. Okay, thanks.

[Gordon]

Well, until I get the right kit, after a bit of cleaning at least it does burn.
Not sure what this really tells me that's useful, but at least it does indeed burn.

[Tony]

Looks like you had a conversion which is great!

Bio will burn briefly with a wicked burner like that, but not for long before the wick burns down.  Even mixed with other solvents the same happens (I hoped to use bio in a greenhouse heater - no such luck).

Next step is the 3/27 test mentioned above - basically if you mix a small amount (~10%) bio with an excess of methanol, what should happen is you see the two combine into a clear liquid.  However, any bits that settle to the bottom would be unconverted oil.  It allows us to (roughly) see if there is any remaining oil that hasn't been converted to biodiesel.

[Gordon]

Looks like you had a conversion which is great!

Excellent. Quite pleasing.

Bio will burn briefly with a wicked burner like that, but not for long before the wick burns down.

Ah, I was wondering about that. I rather liked to idea of burning bio in my latest construction...



..but I guess I'll have to stick to paraffin for the time being.

Even mixed with other solvents the same happens (I hoped to use bio in a greenhouse heater - no such luck).

That's a shame - I rather liked the idea of bio in a greenhouse heater.
I assume the bio is too viscous to climb the wick sufficiently quickly?

In that case, to what type of heater is bio better suited?

Next step is the 3/27 test mentioned above - basically if you mix a small amount (~10%) bio with an excess of methanol, what should happen is you see the two combine into a clear liquid.  However, any bits that settle to the bottom would be unconverted oil.  It allows us to (roughly) see if there is any remaining oil that hasn't been converted to biodiesel.

Ah, okay - I'll give that a try.
Thanks.

[countrypaul]

 It might be more related to the boiling points, Kerosene/paraffin being around 180C where as biodiesel is around 360C (both are subjet to variations in content and  purity, and target market as well as Kerosene/paraffin having slightly different meanings in different locations).

[Gordon]

It might be more related to the boiling points, Kerosene/paraffin being around 180C where as biodiesel is around 360C (both are subjet to variations in content and  purity, and target market as well as Kerosene/paraffin having slightly different meanings in different locations).

That certainly seems a possible explanation. However, I would have thought that if it's lit, it's lit, and that flame front is therefore hot enough to ignite more local fuel.

Hence I was musing that if the flame extinguishes after a few minutes then it's running out of fuel, suggesting that the fuel is not climbing the wick sufficiently fast to maintain the flame.

However, if that was indeed the case, I would have expected mixing the bio with something lighter would fix the problem, but it didn't, so, well, I guess I'm wrong.

Suffice it to say, it'd be nice to diagnose this, as I'd quite like a bio greenhouse heater...

[DavidA]

I'm just seeing a blank box with no image.