Fabman,<O:p</O:p

I want to make a still to reclaim the methanol. I looked at your first set up with the hot water tank and that’s the route I'll be going. <O:p</O:p

A few questions for you first:<O:p</O:p

What was the purpose of the tank being tilted? I have been saving my glycerol so that when I make my distillery I will have enough to run several batches. I was hoping to use my hot water tank reactor as the recovery vessel also. Is that possible?<O:p</O:p

What temp do I need to heat it to, to maximize the recovery?<O:p</O:p

About what percentage can I expect to recover?<O:p</O:p

And last - have you had any problems using the reclaimed methanol in future reactions (does it loose any effectiveness when re-used)<O:p</O:p

Any information would be appreciated.<O:p</O:p

 

You havent got a response so I will in his shoes since Ive talked and visited with him. He tilts his container in order to insure full evacuation when he empties the Koh glycering or to fully immerse the heating element. He runs that element wide open, no thermostate. The top corner is a point at which the methanol can be fully collected in a smaller area. Now Don, aka Fab no longer uses the dist anymore, he has gone to vacuum. A simple freezer or fridge vacuum pump under 15lb with recoup approx 30 percent from the glycerin and 15percent directly removed from the bio. Soap seperated from any left in the bio and imm falls to the bottom. Now this is all used under his formula using koh not naoh. The koh stays in liquid form and is easier to move or push through tubing. Troy

 

<O</O
Troy did a good job of describing my process, but Ill add just a little.
I found that the Methanol will start to boil off at about 160*F, but worked the best at about 200*F. I recovered between 25-30 Percent.

My reclamed Methanol comes out crystal clear, and I use a cheap "beer" hydrometer to check it, and most of the time it comes about 98 proof. If I get a batch that tests out below 95 proof I just add a little new and check it out again. Never had a problem yet...............

I would really look at vacume processing closer. It takes less power, It doesn't bring any water over, and you can use the same system to remove the soap from your Bio.

FABMANDELUX.

 

Thanks for the info guys!! At first I thought I wasn't going to get a reply - (I was thinking to myself what did I do?) <O</O

While I was deployed over-seas I kept checking this sight and researching Bio for when I got home. I can happily say that I'm running on my second tank of Bio thanks to you guys here on this sight!!! <O</O

A friend that owns the restaurant where I get my oil had a guy come in asking about his oil, he told him that he was giving it to me and that I was going to try to make some kind of fuel out of it. The guy replied that that’s what he was doing and to make a long story shorter we got hooked up and now I'm bring him my oil and we're making it together and splitting it. Until I get my system up and running. He has a Fuel miser system that he bought so we have been saving the glycerol for the reclaim process. It sounds like it will be easier to get another tank dedicated for that purpose. But I would like to know more about the vacuum system for future plans. <O</O