Saw Dust/Wood Chip Filtering

So here's a photo with an example of the results of using maple sawdust & wood chips to filter settled biodiesel. Notice that you can see through the filtered flask. Going ahead with filtering this latest 24.5 gallons with saw dust. Results look very promising!

Proof in the Pudding (Purolite that is!)

Just wanted to share some pictures of the Purolite results.  In the first image you see the biodiesel in it's raw form after the removal of the glyerol.  Next to it is a small sample of the same biodiesel after it's journey through the Purolite resin tower.  As you can see it's clarity is amazing!

In the last image I added water to simulate a water wash to remove out remaining impurities and soap.  I gently agitated the two samples and you can see the amount of soap (white water at the bottom) that the raw sample had in it.  The water in the Purolite sample is clear as can be!  Using water to get the biodiesel to this stage would have take the better part of 2 days to wash and dry before I could use it.

As you can see the Purolite definitely delivers on it's claims.

And the results!?

Finished processing using the 80/20 recipe and the results were great!  Batch passed the 3/27 test with no fall out or settling what so ever, basically means I had a very complete reaction which is a good thing.

Afterwards I decided to run the biodiesel through one of my resin towers manually.  I poured in a pint of unwashed biodiesel in 15 minute intervals that in the end yielded me nearly 5 gallons worth.  When compared with the unwashed sample it was much clearer but I decide to test for soap content.

Took one sample and poured in hot water and soap began to drop out pretty fast, no agitating required.  Within 5 minutes I had very white layer of water/soap at the bottom of this sample.  Took a sample from the resin washed and repeated the same process.  NO SOAP what so ever!  Water stayed clear the entire time.  Went one step further and shook this sample to see if any soap would fall out.  Drum roll please....................NO SOAP STILL!  Poured the 5 gallons into tank this morning and life is good.  I'll be dry washing the remaining 6 gallons tonight to put into the tank

So, in summary from processing to tank using the resin towers takes 24 hours. 

I'm sold on the resin!

Dry Washing

AAARRRGGGH!  I've had it with water washing my biodiesel!  Takes way to  much time and water to get a batch done.  In replacement I've ordered some Purolite PD206 from the folks over at Houston Biodiesel to dry wash my biodiesel.  Houston Biodiesel offers plans, parts, and the Purolite for the building for the dry washing towers with standard PVC parts for a very reasonable price.

In simple terms, you take your biodiesel that has been separated from the glycerol by product and run it through the Purolite PD206, at a certain flow rate, and clear filtered biodiesel comes out ready to be put in your tank!  In theory from process time to fill up time could be achieved in less than 5 hours, depending on the amount of biodiesel needing to be filtered.  Once the Purolite PD206 is exhausted you just back flush with methanol to remove contaminants, dry and reuse!  One pound of the Purolite PD206 can in theory process up to 100 gallons before needing to back flushed, I'll report back on that.