The
Book Addendums
Great
Products to Make BioDiesel
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Recently the author of our book has made a few common sense safety modifications to the instructions on running the 55 gallon Low Fume processor. It is longer recommended that you open up the processor lid following processing of BioDiesel because hot methanol or methoxide fumes will likely escape & potentially pose a health or fire hazard. We recommend that if you do pump out the still warm BioDiesel into a wash tank or a settling drum, you do so without unclamping the processor lid ring. If you start to develop a vacuum in the process tank while doing this you should then unclamp the lid retaining ring but do not lift the lid. Simply unclamping the lid retaining ring should allow enough air into the tank to vent the vacuum. If desired, you can remove the processor lid after the tank has cooled and then using a garden hose, wash out the tank with tap water. Keeping the lid clamped down while pumping out the biodiesel should create a slight negative pressure in the tank & contain any methoxide fumes. Note that when receiving warm BioDiesel, the wash tank or settling drum should have the lid clamped down tight & you should fill through the bung hole in the lid to help contain the fumes while filling the tank. Use common sense & have adequate ventilation to prevent potentially flammable or toxic fume build up. Replace the bung plug into the bung hole when finished filling the tank to help contain the fumes until the contents cool down. The author of the book now recommends that for safety sake you wait until the BioDiesel has cooled down before beginning Mist washing since Hot or Warm Raw BioDiesel contains a significant amount of methanol which could fume out & pose a fire or health hazard. Methanol has a flash point temperature of 54F and poses a fume explosion hazard at 6% to 36% by volume of fume concentration to the air. If you decide not to follow this advise & still wish to wash warm or hot BioDiesel, please exercise extreme caution & be sure to use plenty of forced air ventilation! After the Misting has started, the methanol / methoxide fumes being emitted off the BioDiesel should be fairly well contained by the water vapor mist & most any escaping fumes should be greatly reduced. We recommend that you do not wash hot or warm BioDiesel but if you do, please use good sense, if you are in the fume area & start to feel a bit drunk you should seek medical attention since this could indicate methanol poisoning, a potentially serious health risk. |
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