ATTN: Biodiesel fans
 

Just called my methanol supplier, Brenntag Chem (Pacific Div.) to confirm the company's mail notification to me of a MeOH price increase to $7.016/gallon. Confirmed. I was advised that the price will go up from there and that it's likely to remain at those prices thru '07. :eek:

For those who use but don't make biodiesel, it takes 20% MeOH by volume to make biodiesel. Most production facilities (commercial and private) are used to paying $1.50 - $3/gal for MeOH. Methanol is made from natural gas. Can you say BIG OIL?

I wish I could say that I'm surprised. Disappointed, yes -- surprised, no.

I remember paying $1.25 a gallon.... kinda surprised that it would jump that high.. I smell something fishy

wonder if that weak dollar has to do with anything also

RANT -- I just don't get it. Methanol was stable at $1.25ish for decades. All the methanol plants in North America close by 2006, production moves to Trinidad, Taiwan, China, Persian Gulf etc. and the methanol price blows through the roof. If this is an example of economic globalization, the US has been hoisted on its own pitard. Methanol is the single most widely used industrial chemical on earth. What's next, air? sunlight?

Another sign that the world is about to end in 2012.

I'll bet you your car against my whole fleet, it wont:D

Any other known substitutes for methanol to assist in the reaction needed? This news is not good!

ethanol?

Ethanol is hygroscopic. You might as well use water instead.

The problem with ethanol is that even .1 % water will kill the reaction. Since ethanol instantly will leach water from the air a homebrewer will never succeed.

Isopropyl alchohol (rubbing) will work but is even more expensive.

ethanol
 

Yes ethanol is very hydroscopic. However, I have read a number of papers that have been written on the successful use of ethanol in the manufacture of biodiesel. There are ways of extracting the H2O from it. If you really wanted to avoid fossil fuels, brewing your own alcohol and using it to make biodiesel would be the ultimate way to do it. The process would likely not be justifiable economically if you wanted to include the value of your time. If you considered it a hobby that was self supporting it would be kind of cool.

but to make your own ethanol in quantaties larger than.. IIRC 500 gallons you need a License/Permit

there is some limit I just cannot recall it

Heh. Plenty of methane from my house after a night of refried beans. Come one over and fill up! :)

You can make beer and wine for personal consumption (within state and federal limits) with out a licence.

You can not distill without a licence.

As long as you denature the ethanol(add something to make it unfit for human consumption) I believe you can make it for fuel. It takes a little more ethanol to transesterify the triglycerides to make biodiesel because the molecule is almost twice as large. However, 100 gal of ethanol would probably make about 400 gal of biodiesel. Figuring you would only use it straight during the warmer weather and would blend it with No. 2 in the cooler weather, that should be enough unless you do a lot of driving.