1st batch what did I do wrong? - Diesel Forum

coolua · 12-18-2005, 11:27 AM

Tried the 2 liter one and let it set for 1 hour looked at it and the top is 1/2inch clear thin stuff and the rest of the bottle is cloudy thick stuff sorry no pics just wondering

h2odrx · 12-18-2005, 02:59 PM

we need more info? how much oil, and what was your titration? how much meth, and how many grams?

coolua · 12-18-2005, 04:30 PM

1 litre oil
Methanol 250ml
Measure out 4g of NaOH (lye) (about half a Teaspoon)

think this could be the area with the 1/2 of teaspoon but what happens if you use too much or too little?

dssamp · 12-18-2005, 06:19 PM

Well, again we need some more data and your measurements are a BIG part of the problem. Was it new or used oil? If the oil is used, you need to do a "titration" to determine the amount of NaOH to ADD to the base amount. And, the base amount is normally 5 grams.

Measurements need to be precise or you get results like you did...probably an incomplete reaction from the sound of it. You should have 80-95% biod and the rest glycerin/methanol mix if the reaction was complete.

coolua · 12-18-2005, 06:51 PM

it was new oil

MudHog · 12-19-2005, 02:57 PM

need to let it sit longer than an hour.

bluenavigator · 12-19-2005, 09:14 PM

Coolua...

Can you provide step by step of what happened to the last batch? That way, it will give us some insights of what actually happened. Also, which recipe did you use?