Titrate WVO for Biodiesel Production

When making biodiesel, using to little catalyst will result in a lower grade product, too much will result in creating soaps which must be washed out of your product. This article will guide you through titration of waste vegetable oil (WVO) so you will know precisely how much catalyst to use.

Steps

  1. Fill your empty HDPE bottle to the neck (1kg of water).
  2. While wearing the chemical resistant gloves, use the scale and a 50 mL beaker to measure out 1g of your catalyst (either sodium or potassium hydroxide) and then use the funnel to add it to your water. If you spill any you will want to start over. If saving this solution for future titrations it has an expiration date of 3 months after you mix it.
  3. Using a 10mL syringe, add 10 mL of Isopropyl alcohol to an empty beaker.
  4. Using a 1mL syringe, add EXACTLY 1 mL of your waste vegetable oil (WVO) to the isopropyl beaker. If needed, place the beaker in a bowl of warm water until the WVO fully dissolves.
  5. Add 2 drops of 1% Phenolphthalein into the same beaker.
  6. Using a 3mL syringe, slowly add the caustic solution from the bottle into the oil solution in the beaker (1/4 mL at a time, stirring as you add). Pay attention to how much caustic solution you add. Keep adding until the oil solution turns a light magenta and remains that color for 30 seconds. Write down how many mL of caustic solution you used, this is your result
  7. If you are using Sodium Hydroxide as your caustic, skip to step 8. If you are using Potassium Hydroxide, skip to step 11.
  8. Divide 5 by the purity of your Sodium Hydroxide (for example if your lye is 99%, so you would take 5/.99 = 5.0505).
  9. Add your result from step 6. This is the number of grams of Sodium Hydroxide you will use per liter of oil you want to process.
  10. (optional for US) Divide this number by 119.826. This new number is the number of pounds of lye to use per US gallon of oil.
  11. Divide 7 by the purity of your Potassium Hydroxide (for example if your potash is 91%, so you would take 7/.91 = 7.6923).
  12. Add your result from step 6. This is the number of grams of Potassium Hydroxide you will use per liter of oil you want to process.
  13. (optional) Divide this number by 119.826. This new number is the number of pounds of potash to use per US gallon of oil.



Warnings

  • Sodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide are extremely corrosive, especially when wet. Do not get on your skin, eyes, ingest, etc. Wear chemical resistant nitrile gloves and eye protection when handling.
  • Isopropyl alcohol and phenolphthalein solution are both flammable. Keep away from excess heat and open flames.

Things You'll Need

  • Pocket scale
  • 1mL syringe
  • 3 ml syringe
  • 10 ml syringe
  • 50 ml beaker
  • 1 gram of NaOH or KOH
  • 10 ml of 99.9+% isopropyl alcohol
  • a few drops of 1% Phenolphthalein
  • Pair of Chemical resistant gloves
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} HDPE bottle
  • Funnel
  • A plastic spoon (for scooping caustic)
  • Safety glasses
  • A bowl

References

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