The expected stratification didn’t appear? (Biodiesel)
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I’ve been working on a biodiesel project recently. Potassium hydroxide and ethanol are added to animal fat (which has a color similar to that of edible oil), and the mixture is heated to initiate a reaction. The solution changed from light yellow to brown, and it became clear. The instructions state that a stratification phenomenon will occur. However, no stratification was observed after the solution was left overnight. Could that person analyze the reasons? But when washed with water, all the brown color was washed into the water, leaving only a light yellow oil on the surface. That’s the basic process of the experiment. During the experiment, a lactideation reaction occurred. Thank you. :)
The lack of stratification may be due to a mixing issue; it’s possible that the alcohol is present in such large excess that it dissolves the ester within it.
Adjust the ratio of alcohol to water, and also pay attention to the amount of KOH added. Measure the pH value of the solution after addition to avoid emulsification