OK all you chemists. What did I do wrong? Please look at last post by me under "First Batch" Appreciate all the help. Tom D

 

First a couple of questions Tom. If your titration numbers are correct, did you add 9.8 grams for EACH liter? That would be 196 grams KOH mixed with 1 gallon of Methanol.

How long did you mix for?

 

I added 9.8 grams to the 20 liters (approx 5 gallons) which was 196 grams. Correct?
I mixed for 30 minutes.

 

Sounds like you might have some suspended water. Did you do a pan test on the oil first? What condition was the oil in, color, smell etc.

 

Hey Don. Thanks for the reply. I think I know what I did wrong. STUPID OF ME. I think I added 19.6 grams instead of 196. Now what can I do to recover? Can I just reheat to 145 deg and add approx 176-177 grams to make up the difference? Do I have to add methanol or can I use just enough to liquify the KOH like maybe a quart?

 

The oil was in very good condition. It smelled very good when I heated to 150 deg. (made me hungry) I did not pan test it but I thought 150 deg would solve the moisture problem.

 

From what your discribing I'll bet you were off with the KOH. I would just add the remaining KOH after reheating and mix for 1 hour. This should work. Trying to add 150+ grams to a small amount of Methanol will create a TON of heat when it reacts.

 

I need to leave town for a week. Can I leave BD in separator without removing the KOH or Methanol or will it burn a hole in the steel drum?

 

Yes you can leave it for a week, but unless the tank is air tight you may lose some of the methanol due to evaporation.

 

The tank is air tight. Thanks for the assistance. I will re-cook it tomorrow and post the results before I leave town. Tom

 

Dont you have to be careful heating the mix hoter than the boiling point of the methanol (like 140 degress+)?

 

I'm back from trip and checked small amount I had poured into mason jar before I left. It separated for 8 days. There is a definite separation of BD and glycerin but it took quite a while to separate. The BD looks black but when I hold it to the light, it is VERY dark maroon color. I can see light through it. It doesn't seem like I have performed a good process. What do you think?

 

I would have suggested re-titrating it first, then running the batch with the new titration results.

 

How do you know when you have a bad batch? Has anyone used any of these dry wash systems out there? Also where do yall store your methanol? Outside? Will texas heat, heat the container enough to make it explode? what if i have a gas water heater in my garage?

 

Good suggestion. I ran a titration and it says the batch is OK. I ran it 3 times to double check. I just thought it was too dark in mason jar but it looks pretty good in the syringe. I don't guess I can do a 3/27 test until I remove the methanol and dry it, right?