[pikab00m]

Hi! This is my second post, and though my English isn't that good, I hope I'll make myself understood. (it rhymes :>)

In my studies, I'm trying to make a new catalyst for biodiesel production. So far, I've been experimenting with things I read from literature. I made some biodiesel batches using NaOH as catalyst but I'm not satisfied, because I can't apply it to a continuous process of production.
So, I thought about changing the catalyst to improve the yield, work temperature and need of materials.
Now I'm trying to recreate what the authors did in this article: Huaping Z, Zongbin W, Yuanxiong C, Pingl Z, Shijie D,
Xiaohua L, Zongqiang M (2006) Chin J Catal 27:391 , and as a brief description I tell you that they used a superbasic material made from CaO and ammonium carbonate. In their studies, they experimented with jathropa curcas oil, I'd like to make my studies with Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO).
I prepared the catalyst following the specs:
Quote: "The authors immersed CaO into ammonium carbonate solution and calcined the catalyst at high temperature of 900 C, which turned CaO into a superbasic material. A FAME yield of 94% was obtained for the transesterification of jatropha
curcas oil with a relatively lower methanol/oil ratio (9:1) and catalyst amount (1.5 wt%) at a reaction temperature of
70C degrees." End of Quote.

For my first experiment I used a ratio methanol/oil of 9:1 adding 9 parts of methanol at 1 part of WVO. Shortly after the process start, the oil was all transformed, and there was a flammable combustible, but I tend to believe that the methanol is the one that burns, not an actual biodiesel.
Also... I think I'm wrong and I don't understand the thing with ratios . Using NaOH I was adding 5 parts of oil and 1 part of MeOH, and the molar ratio was 5:1... but now ... it's backwards, and I'm very confused. Doing 9:1 methanol/oil would be a waste for the process... so why the research?
I hope you guys understand what I mean. I'm very very confused, so I appreciate your answers if you can clarify the problem for me.
Looking forwards to any advices. Pika
(Sorry if that's a too long post, just let me know about it)

[Enthalpy]

Diodiesel has +130°C flash point, so if you could light the cold product without a wick, it may well be methanol that burned.

Methanol is lighter, catches fire easily and burns with a blue flame. Biodiesel should burn yellow once the liquid is hot or you use a wick.

A crude separation method to experiment on tiny amounts: drop some on a cloth. Methanol wil disperse by capillarity and evaporate, leaving the rest (including corrosive alcali!). Press the biodiesel out, compare with oil.

Wasted methanol: no, provided you separate the biodiesel after the reaction and reuse the unreacted methanol.

Methanol is a poison, notably its vapour. Do you protect yourself?

[pikab00m]

Now that you mention it, there is biodiesel in there. I took some of the product on a glass rod and set it on fire. At start it was a blue flame and then it changed to a yellow one, you're right!
The catalyst can be separated from the mixture using a simple filter paper, because it is solid and as far as i saw, it has pretty much the same weight after the process was made.
I see your point now, all I have to do is search for a nice method to separate the biodiesel from methanol so I can reuse the MeOH in making new biodiesel. This way, bit by bit, it can be obtained a great yield. I see, quite interesting!!! It really helped me , I haven't understood the process well so far, but now is clearer.

Okay now! Let's find a method to separate methanol from the biodiesel!

And by the way, I'm not working with great quantities, I don't have any special measures of protection. It's just the organic chemistry lab. with ventilation on.

Any suggestions are more than welcomed! I'll throw myself into it and see what I can find !
Thx guys, it's great having hope again!