Hi everyone

We are really really new and complete novices at attempting to make biodiesel.  We have several sources of WVO, but are being offered quite a lot of used palm oil (which could be mixed in with other oils).  It is definitely a lot thicker, and sludgy, to the used vegetable/sunflower oil we have got.

We have heard that palm oil is not so good for making biodiesel - can anybody give us any suggestions, tips, etc?

Many thanks

yorkie

Yorkie,

Welcome.

Palm oil makes excellant Bd but it has a higher cloud point - it gells at temps higher than other feedstock. So it all depends on where you live as to how you use it.

If you live in the tropics then you should not have an issue but outside the tropics you will need to mix with dino juice as the winter temps start dropping.

G'day and Thanks, Slippery

We are English but we live in Central Brittany, France, unfortunately nowhere near the tropics!  We have now taken a very small batch, heated it slightly to make it runny, as in its normal state it doesn't run at all, passed it through a fairly coarse filter and because of time, left it in the container overnight without doing any more to it.  This morning, on inspection, the stuff was back to its normal semi solid state.  Shall I just go ahead and make a batch with this and see what happens?

Something else you might be able to help us with - at what sort of micron gauge would you use for the first filtering before you put it into the reactor?  Is passing it through something like tee shirt material good enough or can you get away with a double layer of mozzy netting for example?

Hi Yorkie, I am in the same boat as you. I have access to hundreds of gallons (or pounds, depending on which state it is in) of a palm oil based feedstock. Here is a link to my post on the subject and some helpful advice I got.

http://biodieselnow.com/forums/p/21671/154592.aspx#154592