WVO salt and glycerin

[camp9]

I read a article that didn't name any sources as to a method of helping remove the glycerin from WVO. The author says he places 1 to 2 inches of rock or softener salt on the bottom of a 55 gallon drum, and says it pulls not only the water out but also 99.7% of the glycerin out. Has anyone else heard of this?

Camp

 

[hedgehog69]

I have heard that..and tried it. I have no doubt it pulls the water out of the oil. I used a 50 lb. bag of rock salt in a 55 gal. drum. From my experience processing homebrew biodiesel, I can say that 50 gal of oil would 'yield' app. 20% glycerine...10 gal. I personally have a hard time thinking that a 2-3" layer of salt at the bottom of the barrel would pull and 'absorb' 10 gal of glycerine.

Perhaps there is ion exchange process going on...or some other chemistry that I don't understand....I honestly don't know.

Also...you then have another waste product...nasty salt...saturated with glycerine...if the process does pull the glycerine out. I have learned that cattle love glycerine, but only if you do homebrew biodiesel and use KOH...potassium hydroxide...instead of NaOH...LYE. Having had a few little tastes of glycerin, it is sweet. Cattle like salt licks...and they like glycerine...

 

[wreckerman893]

Are we talking about using WMO to make bio-diesel or running it straight or mixed with other fuels?

I use it straight and don't think I have to worry about glycerine. It seems to mix well with straight diesel and the diesel Ranger loves it.

I would think that salt would introduce some corrosion issues into the equation.

 

[camp9]

I have a cow/calf opperation so getting rid of it would be no problem. If it were to work, you'd have to pull off the top layer above the salt I would think. As far as mixing with WMO there are lot of options. The idea of pulling the glycerin out would be that some diesel motors are more sensitive to problems than others when it comes to glycerin, not so much on a mix, but when burning it 100%.

 

[superburban]

The way I see it is that the glycerine in vegetable oil is no more a worry than the hydrogen in my water! What I mean is that the glycerine is in a chemical compound. It is part of the oil. The claim that salt alone will cause a transesterfication reaction is not supported by the rules of chemistry.

 

[hedgehog69]

One of the main reason for processing veggie oil into biodiesel is to reduce viscosity. From memory...but thinking biodiesel is 17 times thinner than the original oil.

 

[camp9]

I'm thinking the glycerin would help thin out the oil? I put some WVO in a gallon glass jar with a good inch of table salt on the bottom. Over the first day the jar got cloudy, and then you could see the cloud settling to the bottom over the next two days. After 6 days now there is very little cloudy matter suspended in the oil, can't really tell what it was that settled to the bottom though, but guessing the glycerin.

 

[hedgehog69]

I'm thinking the glycerin would help thin out the oil? I put some WVO in a gallon glass jar with a good inch of table salt on the bottom. Over the first day the jar got cloudy, and then you could see the cloud settling to the bottom over the next two days. After 6 days now there is very little cloudy matter suspended in the oil, can't really tell what it was that settled to the bottom though, but guessing the glycerin.

When I process biodiesel...using WVO...which is dark in color, dependent upon age and use.....the glycerine looks black and settles to the bottom. The biodiesel stays above the glycerine...and is usually golden and can be quite clear.

I would think glycerine setting out in a 'salt process' would be dark as well....but ...there might be some chemistry going on...and that is beyond my knowledge.

 

[stampy]

Well the chemical reaction that happens when you make biodiesel (transesterfication)changes the molecule so that the heavy fats (glycerine) fall to the bottom of the tank. I don't think this happens with salt. Personally using WVO that is centrifuged seems to get out most of the real heavy stuff and any salts and residual water. Search for the "many" threads on alternative fuels. Yes I have made biodiesel too but the process is more expensive and time consuming, not to mention more dangerous than just heating the oil for the water to fall out and centrifuging to remove impurities. I have been runing this (blended with pump diesel ) for years.

 

[bill2444]

While getting rid of the glycerin makes sense for most diesels, it isn't really necessary for a deuce. Mine likes the wvo in its entirely. Even when run at 100%. ( my buddy just dropped 6 grand for a bio processor, add his chemical cost and he could have bought 2 deuces. I don't think at his usage rate he will ever break even)

 

[camp9]

I agree with you all, why get it out if you don't have to. But after reading about what this other guy was doing I wanted to ask and see if anyone one else was doing it and why. The idea of getting it thinner was my ultimate thought. I have many diesels we run from 1.9 tdi vw's to cummings and cats. A multi fuel 5 ton is something that i want to get a hold of. But for now utilizing WMO and WVO in all the engines we already have sure make it easier on the pocket book.

 

[BikerBi11]

I am new to this and I have a question that Camp9 has made me think about. Did they make a 5 ton Multi fuel?

 

[drgreg]

Yep.

 

[drgreg]

5 Ton - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite