Hi readers:

As you may know, sodium hyroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) may be used as catalysts during a reaction. I need input on the varying nature and behavior of each during a reaction (methoxide).

Does anyone have information as to which catalyst is recommended, and why? Although the two substances closely resemble eachother in chemical properties, which do you prefer to use? Which is more likely to give consistent results time after time? Although caustic, which is safer to use? General and specific input on NaOH vs. KOH.

Many thanks,
RDC

 

I started out using NaOH, but switched to Koh about 2 years ago. KOH mixes a lot easyer, has less vapor, and produces a glycerol byproduct that is liquid to 0 deg, which means it is alot easyer to get into my methanol recovery still.

If you use NaOH the glycerol makes a great weed killer, it kills anything green, but my KOH based glycerol I use for fertilizer. I will never go back to NaOH!

FABMANDELUX.

 

I had the opposite result in terms of final product and I got used to using NaOH as it produced much more consistant results...the British have several web sites with recipes using both...if I remeber correctly they have different procedures, but I haven,t made any bio in about six months.

 

Here is the easiest formula created in general from my mentor Fabman

For every 25 gallons of 150 degree heated oil you use
3 lbs of Pot ash aka KoH and 5 gallons of methanol and mix then add to heated oil

If you want to recoup your methanol up to 45 percent max you put it under 15 lbs of vacuum both the glycering and bio fuel. Soaps fall out almost instant and glycering is still a liquid and easy form of green waste to dispose of.