What Biodiesel Chemicals
are Used During Dry Washing?

To clean the biodiesel of impurities, it must be ‘washed’. Below is a list of biodiesel chemicals that can be used for this process. When these are used, it is referred to as a biodiesel dry wash. It can also be washed chemical free by performing a water wash.


Popular Chemicals Used when Dry Washing:

• Purolite™ PD206 - This is an ion exchange resin used for removing any remaining glycerin, methanol, water, salt, catalysts and soap from biodiesel. One pound treats approximately 100 gallons of biodiesel. It can be regenerated by soaking in methanol and then ionically charged.

More info on Purolite™ PD206

• Thermax™ T-45 - This one of the biodiesel chemicals is composed of tiny beads of macro-porous drywash resin. These beads have more surface area for ion exchange to take place on than Purolite™ or Amberlite™ because they not only have an outside surface area, but the pores create inside surface area as well. To regenerate it must be flushed with methanol and soaked in sulfuric acid. One pound of this will treat approx 125 gallons of WVO biodiesel.

More info on Thermax™ T-45 (one of the GREAT biodiesel chemicals)

• Amberlite™ BD10Dry - An ion exchange resin for absorbing remaining glycerin, catalyst and soap. Methanol can be recovered from the biodiesel at the end. One pound treats 123-219 gallons of biodiesel (dependent on how dirty it is). It cannot be regenerated to remove more soap, only glycerin.

For more info on Amberlite™ BD10Dry

• Eco2Pure™ - It removes remaining methanol, soap, water and catalysts through absorption. It has the appearance of wood chips and is one of the least expensive dry wash products. It compacts super hard and is hard to remove from some towers. I would recommend using the tower that was designed specifically for this product. One pound can treat 42-84 gallons of biodiesel.

More info on Eco2Pure™.

• Magnesol™ D-SOL - Removes glycerin, methanol, water, salt, catalysts, and soap remnants from biodiesel. It comes in a fine white powder. When spent, a filler cake is left, that has many potential uses (biomass fuel, animal feed, a fertilizer or compost). Many claim it is a great product except that it is very hard to remove all the Magnesol™ afterwards. Magnesol improves the oxidative stability of the biodiesel more than water-washing does.

More info on Magnesol™ D-SOL.

• Dowex™ DR-G8 – This dry resin should be used after the glycerin has been separated and drained and after the methanol has been removed. It will remove trace amounts of glycerin, soap, salts and moisture.

More info on Dowex™ DR-G8.


In Summary:

There are several different methods of performing a biodiesel dry wash. The biodiesel chemicals Purolite, Thermax and Amberlite are are all ion exchange resins that are put in a tower while the biodiesel is allowed to trickle through. Eco2Pure is natural and sustainable. It is packed into a tower and the biodiesel is allowed to flow through via gravity, or it may be pumped through. Magnesol D-SOL is the 'origional biodiesel dry wash chemical'.

Back to 'Make It!'

Back to Biodiesel Homepage