Methanol Recovery

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Old 07-23-2006, 12:40 AM
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Methanol Recovery

Hey all!
After 6+ months of trial, error, more trials, more errors, and lots of colorful language, my DH is finally producing BioDiesel of great quality! (He makes the BD, I work on the trucks)
Now that he's got the process down, he's producing in greater volume. This naturally means more waste.
Since the back of my property is starting to look like a toxic waste dump, and I don't want the county on my butt, is there an easy process out there to recover the methanol from the glycerol? He won't do complicated (hence the waste dump), but if I can say "hey! It's really simple" we can "gett 'r' done."
Or, if there's another way to dispose of this stuff please let me know. I'd like my pasture back.....
THANKS!
 
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Old 07-23-2006, 03:27 AM
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Tell him to switch to potassium instead of Sodium...the byproduct is super super good fertilizer. You can throw it into the water or on the land and till it under. If the methanol is captured or allowed to evap you will have no problems. Fabman here is one of the forum Kings in this manner as well as Phx something,,,,they will explain to you more complicated stuff but its all good.
 
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Old 07-23-2006, 07:53 AM
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Originally Posted by OsbornFamily
Hey all!
After 6+ months of trial, error, more trials, more errors, and lots of colorful language, my DH is finally producing BioDiesel of great quality! (He makes the BD, I work on the trucks)
Now that he's got the process down, he's producing in greater volume. This naturally means more waste.
Since the back of my property is starting to look like a toxic waste dump, and I don't want the county on my butt, is there an easy process out there to recover the methanol from the glycerol? He won't do complicated (hence the waste dump), but if I can say "hey! It's really simple" we can "gett 'r' done."
Or, if there's another way to dispose of this stuff please let me know. I'd like my pasture back.....
THANKS!

Removing the Methanol is not hard at all. Check out my gallery, I posted pics of the still I built. I recover 25 percent of my Methanol which cuts down my cost of production. Troy is right on when he says to switch from NaOH to KOH. It mixes much easyer makes less fumes and the glycerol is a liquid down to 0 deg F.

If you mix 150 deg water 50-50 with the hot glycerol from your still, you can use it for fertiliser, but only if you use KOH. The NaOH based glycerol when mixed with water makes a great weed killer, just don't get it on any plants you want to keep!

After the Methanol is removed you can feed the glycerol to cattle at a rate of 10 percent by weight. Koh based glycerol makes a great liquid soap and de-greaser, and NaOH based glycerol makes a hard bar soap.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

FABMANDELUX.


Troy, still haven't heard anything from the Grange about the "buss" yet...........
 
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Old 07-23-2006, 03:59 PM
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Hey all - thanks!
Yes, we are using KOH - that was one of many changes made in the learning curve. You're absolutely right in that it is so much "friendlier" to work with!
I'll check out your gallery right now. I would love to recover a bunch of the methanol, and recycle the rest. Much better for everyone/thing all around.
And a quick side note- my F350 loves the biodiesel.
Has anyone here been using a diesel generator to assist in powering the home? We have 2 electric furnaces and are thinking of investing into a good generator.
THANKS again!
 




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