This simple method is ready to be made public, free of charge to interested people, communities and small-scale producers.
Assoc. Prof. Chakrit Thong-urai, Director of R&D Center for Alternative Energy from Palm Oil and Oil Crops, the owner of a petty patent for a bio-diesel test method using a microwave oven said that the process was called “A glyceride estimation testing process using microwave-assisted transesterification”. This is to remake a small amount of biodiesel in a short time using a domestic microwave oven as a test device.
Generally, there are various glyceride testing methods used to test the quality of biodiesel. However, this method is an easy, fast and cheap. Previously, small-scale and medium-scale biodiesel producers usually tested the oil quality by looking at it and feeling it to see its clarity. These producers can also send it to the Petroleum Authority of Thailand or to Prince of Songkla Universityto be tested using a more complicated method but the expenses are high, 6,000 baht for a test that takes 15 days. With this innovative method, it takes only about 15 minutes and at a cost of only around 5 baht for chemicals used in the process.
This test process is conducted by adding methanol solution and a catalyst to the biodiesel and then heat it in a microwave oven. The test is done in a funnel with measuring scales on it. If there is glyceride in the oil, its quality is not good because not all the mixture has been changed to biodiesel. This process takes not more than 15 minutes. However, the mixture, the heat and the time used for the test have to be precise and therefore consultation with an expert in the field is necessary.
Microwave heating is a process where radio waves vibrate water molecules in biodiesel, causing faster reaction with alcohol. When beginning to use this process, a problem may occur because microwave ovens have different wattages and give out different levels of heat. Thus, the heating time and heat intensity have to be adjusted.
