Originally Posted by
SkySkiJason
The fact is copper accelerates polymerization in VO and biodiesel. While it may not pose a noticable problem for some, avoiding it in your design would be best. Aluminum tubing is cheaper and has almost no effect on VO/bio-d. (I use compression fittings etc commonly used on copper)
Thanks for your input. It's greatly appreciated. Since copper is so widely used in the UK, I figured it would be ok. I've even seen entire processor tanks made of copper. Turns out many of the water heater tanks across the pond are constructed with copper.
Anyway, with regard to the polymerization issue, I produce bio for myself (and some for my dad too), and make fairly small quantities (45-90 gal./month), so none of it sits for any longer than a month to 6 weeks. My thinking here is that any effects of polymerization would be fairly minimal.