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What is the purpose of the polishing column?

What is the purpose of the polishing column? What does it do? Is it used in the drying process?

dorn's picture

The polishing column takes excess methanol and soaps out and substitutes for a water wash. The advantage is a savings in time, and elimination of the waste water issues. There are several available absorbent materials available on the market. The material I use is based on refined hardwood chips.

Thank you for your inquiry. I am happy to post additional documentation that you would find useful including process flow diagrams, bill of materials and more detailed component photos.

Aidan Williamson's picture

From reading at journeytoforever.org I gathered that it is good to eliminate water-washing as it leaves the water contaminated. Can you direct me to a resource where I might read more about the polishing column's function? So you put the hardwood chips in the polishing column and press the methyl esters through like a filter? Thanks for your response.

Aidan Williamson's picture

Actually I found some on my own. Where did you buy the column itself?

dorn's picture

The base column was purchased from http://www.turnerbiodiesel.com/ but was then modified so that it could be rotated and reversed to backflow the filter media and also facilitate cleanout. I can post more images of the quick connects and frame that make that possible.

Aidan Williamson's picture

That would be great! How many gallons before you need to change the media? Do you have an estimate of cost/gal to use this method? This source says 2-4 cents per gallon with DW-resin. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/8999/ion-exchange-resin-as-dry-wash-media

Aidan Williamson's picture

I see now that the information I sought is on the turner biodiesel website.

Thanks for uploading the diagram of your system, Dorn. Where are the filters and what sizes are they?