Friday, May 13, 2011

May 11th, 2011

Today in class we finished mixing our bio diesel. We first put on all the safety gear because we are working with chemicals that are harmful to the skin. I measured the 12 grams of sodium hydroxide. That dissolved into the methanol creates methoxide.

We used the following materials: 12 grams sodium hydroxide, 250mL methanol, and 1L used cooking oil. Today was successful, and we accomplished a lot. The dissolving the hydroxide was time consuming though.

The process for creating the bio diesel was: First, we poured the wvo into the 2 liter bottles. After 12 grams of sodium hydroxide was measured it was poured in with the methanol to create the methoxide. The pellets of sodium hydroxide had to be dissolved into the methanol. That took about 20 minutes. Next, the methoxide was poured into the wvo. Then we inverted the bottle 8 times, and put the bottle upside down in a beaker. After completion I learned the basic make up of bio diesel. Bio diesel is made up vegetable oil turned into fuel by the process of transesterification leaving bio diesel and glycerin. A methoxide needs to be created to separate the two. A methoxide can be created from methanol and sodium hydroxide.

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