Procedure

Transesterification

1. Measured out 75g of ethanol.

2. Measured out 3g of NaOH.

3. Combined 75g of ethanol and 3g of NaOH to form NaOC₂H₅

4. Measured out 300g of Jatropha oil.

5. Heated Jatropha oil to 60^oC

6. Mixed Jatropha oil and NaOC₂H₅

7. Stirred and let the constituents separate.

Waited 8 to 24 hours for the separation to be complete. What remained was an ethanol based biodiesel and glycerol.                 

                           

Cloud Point

1. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil into pot 1.

2. Poured 5 mL of Wintron XC30 into pot 2.

3. Poured 5 mL of diesel additive into pot 3.

4. Poured 5 mL of ethanol into pot 4.

5. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL Wintron XC30 into pot 5.

6. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL diesel additive into pot 6.

7. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL ethanol into pot 7.

8. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil, 1 mL of ethanol and 1 mL Wintron XC30 into pot 8.

9. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil, 1 mL of ethanol and 1 mL diesel additive into pot 9.

10. Placed thermometers into the pots and stirred the fluids for 15 seconds.

11. Placed the pots in the freezer.

12. Opened the freezer and recorded observations and the temperatures every 5 minutes

Repeated this test for the combination that gave the best results.

Flash point

1. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL diesel additive into pot 1.

2. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL ethanol into pot 2.

3. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil, 1 mL of ethanol and 1 mL diesel additive into pot 3.

4. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil and 1 mL Wintron XC30 into pot 4.

5. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil, 1 mL of ethanol and 1 mL Wintron XC30 into pot 5.

6. Poured 5 mL of Jatropha oil, 1 mL of ethanol, 1 mL of diesel additive and 1 mL Wintron XC30 into pot 8.

7. Used burning splints to light a flame.

8. Placed the flame in pot 1 and recorded the time it took for the liquid in the pot to start burning.

Recorded quantitative data.

9.   Repeated steps 7-9 for each pot of liquid.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

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