How to Prepare a
Biodiesel Titration Solution

You will need to prepare a biodiesel titration solution before you can begin to titrate. It is simply a solution of water and the dissolved catalyst. Here's how you do it:


How to Prepare It:

•Mark your 1 liter re-sealable container with words along the lines of 'Titration Solution.'

• Use the pitcher to measure 1 liter of distilled water and pour this into the container (the funnel may be useful at this time).

• Check your catalyst for clumping - a sign of oxidization which causes neutralization. If this is the case you should get new catalyst. Catalysts should be stored in a sealed container and when used the container should be promptly sealed back up.

• Measure 1 gram of the catalyst of your choice out on the scale and add it to the water in the container; let it sit a while to dissolve (you may shake it to speed things up (KOH will take much less time to dissolve than lye).

• The titration solution will oxidize over time due to opening and closing the container. This will cause inaccurate results, so it should be replaced every few months or so.


Alternate Method if Your Scale Only Measures to 0.1:

• Use the above method, only instead of adding 1 gram of catalyst, add 10 grams.

• Now, remove all but 100 ml of the catalyst/water solution from the pitcher.

• Add 900 ml of distilled water to the pitcher, so now you have a full liter of solution.

• Now you have achieved the same accuracy as a 0.01 scale would have produced, suitable for titration!

ON TO THE ACTUAL BIODIESEL TITRATION>>

Back to 'Titration Introduction'

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