What Chemical can Reduce Water Content

Hello yakobus

You don't say what your fuel actually is.

Please advise:

1. SolidCoal
2. Solid Wood - Advise type
3. Solid Wood - Pelletised
4. Solid Wood - Chipped - - Advise chip size
   
5. Solid Powdered - coal or other - Advise type
6. Liquid - Advise type
   
7. Gaseous- Advise type and pressure
8. Other - Advise please.

I presume from your closing two words you are from Australia.

Please advise your location in your "Profile", as your location may have a bearing on the proper answer.

Reply here, with

Kind Regards....

Wherever you are, dump/drain that fuel NOW!!

If you've added NaOH to it, you've got intense alkali sloshing through your fuel system doing who knows what to every susceptible item.

If you haven't added anything to it, the dump/drain the fuel anyway into a drum/container and let it settle. You will be able to decant the fuel off the top of the water. Did this hundreds of times on the farm when we got to the bottom of the 44 Galon drums that fuel was delivered in.

There was a thread running a couple of weeks ago about water in fuel (petrol) and the solutions mostly turned to adding "metho" in sufficient quantity to absorb the water and draw it through the system. This works for small quantities, but for 10% it's not practical.

If you are into "home brew" biofuel, then you haven't fully followed the recipe, or haven't completed the final couple of steps. (Why I mention this is that you raised the suggestion of NaOH in the original question.) The final steps (based on the Dr Pepper style process) is to "let the mixture stand and the water will settle to the bottom and then CAREFULLY pour the fuel off the top."

If you really want the water completely removed, then there was an alternate thread about getting "pure" alcohol where plaster of paris was added, shaken up and then allowed to settle. The water combines chemically into the plaster and can then be filtered out. If you have excess plaster, then that solid will also filter out.

Hope the suggestions help, that is "let it settle" and decant the fuel off.

I agree with "Just an Engineer". You can decant the major part of the fuel (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, etc) off after allowing the water to settle. The fuel will still be "wet", but most fuels don't mix well with or absorb much water. Adding dry isopropanol, or denatured 200 proof ethanol, will remove much of the remaining water. There are a number of inexpensive water absorbers available from chemical supply houses, or you can go to high tech stuff like molecular seive or p-toluenesulfonylisocyanate, which will react with water. Take care not to use too much too fast, as it will generate heat, which is usually incompatable with fuels!

What kind of fuel you use? Henryzhang1@hotmail.com

Use lime, plaster of paris or cement - just mix them up.

Assume this fuel us not a hyrocarbon (petroleum) base or the water would separate - could be an alcohol. Having a bit of water inb does not mean too much - jet planes add water - it turns to steam at high temperatures and so gives thrust - can rust your system!.

You need to install a water separator on your fuel line. The one that has the glass bowl. Since water in heavier then fuel, it will separate and sit at the bottom of the bowl, which in turn, you will need to empty on a daily basis. You could also get a spark plug that is one step hotter then what the OEM specs call for, and this would help you burn down the rest of your fuel.

Then if you really want to make a go at it, just add a hydrogen generator which will help ignite your water problem and give you 50% distance of your fuel consumption.

Maximo

I would get the fuel into a tank that has a bottom drain valve. let it set in the hot sun for a week or so then drain off most of the water. Gas tanks in cars have the little dimple on the bottom. That is to collect water. Most home heating oil tanks have a drain valve for water.

Then if you to remove more water use a desiel fuel bowel and through it thru that.

This all low tech and low cost advice.

run the duel through it. sorry was thinking and not typing

HELLO

Use a couple of .39 cent bottles of alcohol from your local grocery store should do the trick. I hope it helps

Hey, Guest. The 39 cent bottles of alcohol "at the grocery store" are 70 isopropanol and 30 % water. You will just be compounding the problem. One can't concentrate alcohols like ethanol greater than 95 % by distillation. Then chermical means come into play to remove the remaining water.

Where are you getting 39 cent bottles of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol? That stuff is costing about $1.69 these days.

Hello agua_doc

Perhaps those 39 cent bottles are very small in size

Kind Regards....

liquid hydrocarbon fuels will not hold 10% water. It has parts per million water. Water will seperate from a liquid fuel, then just drain off like mentioned above. Adding alchol does nothing. The alcohol will mix with the freewater and keep it from freezing, but it will not remove water from the hydrocarbons.

If it's a liquid fuel comprising non-polar molecules then just let it stand. The water will separate and fall to the bottom of the container, and the liquid fuel will float on the top. Just decant.

Hello Yakobus!

I don't have a precise answer to your question with so little precision about the fuel, the equipment used, and the purpose of the use. However, my suggestion is to not change the composition of your fuel, is already made, change the equipment to be able to use the fuel containing water. It's is possible? Let us know. Waiting for answer, and wish you a good day of thinking, Gil.

Not sure if this will help you situation but I find it quite helpful for the equipment I have at home that sets for long periods of time between uses.

if the hyperlink doesn't work here is the web address http://www.sta-bil.com/sta-bil/all_about_sta-bil.htm

Diesel fuel can hold 20% water in suspension. Remove it by 1) bowl-type separator or 2) a filter using the same material found in disposable diapers (nappies). They soak up the water and will not release it, so you will need a supply. I can't remember the name, but a truck stop or truck supply company will have the information.

Hi HarryBurt and the starter!

For example, if the fuel is in drums, place them in a cold environment ( around -15 to - 25*C ), and when water is in solid state, pour out the fuel with or without filtering. If the first time does not give you satisfaction, repeat the operation. All the best, Gil.