Biodiesel Sodium Methoxide - Alternative fuel looking for better alternatives

Probably one of the most popular catalysts used in creating biodiesel is sodium methoxide. To create biodiesel, one needs to introduce a catalyst and an alcohol to the medium. And despite the dangers and the disadvantages involve in using sodium methoxide, the compound is still being used today because of the lack of viable alternatives.

Derived from methoxide which is an organic salt, sodium methoxide which is also known as sodium methylate is an initiator of an anionic addition polymerization with ethylene oxide. Resulting from the process is the formation of a polyether with high molecular weight. When used in the production of biodiesel sodium methoxide transesterifies with methanol the various vegetable oils or animal fats to create fatty acid methyl esters which are used.

Sodium methoxide is not a rare compound. Actually it is manufactured on an industrial scale. One can easily buy it from a number of chemical companies but the major world supplier today is the BASF company.

When used in biodiesel production, sodium methoxide serves as a powerful base. Actually, transesterified biodiesel is a common method of production. It is a known fact that sodium methoxide can substantially increase produce. One should note, however, that water is a potent catalyst to stop any reaction that has been induced by the use of methoxide.

Moreover, methoxide is highly volatile and the resulting sodium methoxide is highly toxic. During the process of creating sodium methoxide, lots of hydrogen and heat are used increasing the dangers involved in the process. The high toxicity levels of sodium methoxide also make it very hazardous catalyst to be used in biodiesel productions.

What the chemical does is kill human nerve cells before any pain can be felt. When exposure to methoxide occurs, it is best to rinse the affected areas with water and ask for medical treatment immediately.

Another major disadvantage of using sodium methoxide in biodiesel production is the fact that the compound needs to be purified from the biodiesel. Not doing so can cause a lot of problems for the end consumers.

First off, unwashed biodiesel will never meet the standards of ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials).

Second, when the biodiesel left unwashed some alcohol, sodium hydroxide, and soap may remain in the fuel itself. These elements can easily cause biological growth when the fuel degrades which can ruin the engine or its parts.

Another reason why unwashed biodiesel is not advisable is that having unreacted methanol in the biodiesel fuel can result in fire or explosion aside from causing corrosion to some of the engine's parts. In particular, unfiltered sodium methoxide might also cause corrosion of other engine components.

There are a number of ways to clean the biodiesel of impurities. Most of the time, impurities like unreacted sodium methoxide settle out into the glycerol layer. However, the actual process of removing them from the fuel is tedious and time consuming. Most manufacturers of biodiesel wash the fuel either through agitation washing, mist washing or and bubble washing.

Regardless of techniques, the basic element in washing biodiesel is mixing it with water. By adding water to the fuel, the excess alcohol, sodium hydroxide, and soap are absorbed and later on the water and the impurities in it can be drained from the bottom of the container. However, it does take a number of water cycles to totally remove the impurities from the fuel. Also, it might take the same amount of water as biodiesel to wash off those impurities.