Test for biodiesel.

[Julian]

Hi, Dame Hilda Bracket here!

This will sound a little strange (well, perhaps not coming from me), but how do you test for biodiesel besides doing a 3/27 or running it in an engine?

I've been playing with my soap (don't bother with the bath-time jokes) and I think I may have produced biodiesel.  It gives a respectable 3/27 result, but as I only have about 50ml running it in a car isn't piratical.

Anyone any ideas?

[Jamesrl]

Hi, Dame Hilda Bracket here!

This will sound a little strange (well, perhaps not coming from me), but how do you test for biodiesel besides doing a 3/27 or running it in an engine?

I've been playing with my soap (don't bother with the bath-time jokes) and I think I may have produced biodiesel.  It gives a respectable 3/27 result, but as I only have about 50ml running it in a car isn't piratical.

Anyone any ideas?

It's a bit light on the details, Matey (get it)

[Julian]

Errr, no, sorry!

[Jamesrl]

"Matey" is a bath playtime soap for kids.

Still light on details as to how you turned soap into Bio.

[nathanrobo]

Hi, Dame Hilda Bracket here!

This will sound a little strange (well, perhaps not coming from me), but how do you test for biodiesel besides doing a 3/27 or running it in an engine?

I've been playing with my soap (don't bother with the bath-time jokes) and I think I may have produced biodiesel.  It gives a respectable 3/27 result, but as I only have about 50ml running it in a car isn't piratical.

Anyone any ideas?

Not sure I follow... have you made bio out of soap?

[Julian]

... have you made bio out of soap?

That's exactly what I'm trying to find out.

It's a dark straw coloured liquid with it's origins in vegtable oil and it passes the 3/27 test.  How do I know it's biodiesel?

[Julian]

"Matey" is a bath playtime soap for kids.

Bloody hell Jim, that's a bit tenuous.  But I do remember "Matey" from when I was very young ... just had to google it and they still seem to sell it.  And here's the old advert ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFZzk6O-Uiw  I have to admit, it does bring back memories!

Still light on details as to how you turned soap into Bio.

Intentionally.  I don't want to spout off claiming to have turned water into wine until I know I can get pissed on the stuff.

[nathanrobo]

Cool!  Rock on bio brother!

[Glycer-rides]

My home made soap from glyc slowly sweats something similar out in storage.
But I have never tested it, as it's all 'wash n go' here.

[Julian]

Starting to regret asking the question now!

Tried another test ... it burns on a wick with a yellow flame and black soot.

[Rotary-Motion]

Cool!  Rock on bio brother!

hehehe

anywhooes i thought quite a valid question, how do we know? well you know that is. well you know what i mean...

 

[nathanrobo]

Would you be turning it into FFA's?

[K.H]

 "running it in a car isn't piratical" "Matey" definate nautical theme Dame Bracket!

Anyways wot about this?
 Specific gravity of Biodiesel is between 0.860 and 0.900
 Specific gravity of vegetable oil is usually 0.920 or higher

[Carrington]

Hi Julian
The conversion of fatty acid to bio / soap is fully reversible so you could easly have converted your soap to bio given the right process.
If your test passes a3/27 test then it could be bio or FFA so you could try to some 50/50 washes to remove residual chemicals then maybe titrate it to see if it contains any FFA.
 
I think the best way to be sure would be to process a full batch of your material as you have with your test sample then put a % of it in with each batch you make and use it this way.

Hope this helps

Paul

[Head Womble]

Julian
I know what you're asking and I have plenty of the same "soap" as you.

I'll be doing the same tests on my stuff, so we can see if we get the same results.