Chemistry Experiment: Distillation of Ethanol ( Ethyl Alcohol)

[agnoses]

Adding castor oil and using the differential in vapor pressure will give you a higher yield of ethanol. :-) Nice heater - looking for one of these.

[ytmachx]

@agnoses I got the mantle on Ebay.

[lukemich12]

how do you extract the methanol if your continuously adding alcohol ?

[ytmachx]

@lukemich12 There is no methanol present.

[lukemich12]

@ytmachx oh because i read somewhere that theres a small amount of methanol created anytime you ferment mash

[ytmachx]

@lukemich12 Yes, perhaps, but this was removed before it was sold as drinking alcohol, as methanol is quite poisonous.

[lukemich12]

@ytmachx yeah thats true nice set-up by the way im thinking of doing something similar

[ytmachx]

@lukemich12 Thanks! Please post a response video if you can.

[MrPiano2525]

Making 95% alcohol is simple.. Why don't you add a conjugate to remove the azeotrope, making absolute (100%) ethanol..?

[ytmachx]

@MrPiano2525 The alcohol doesn't need to be 100% for the ether synth. I used something simple and easier to obtain for the average viewer instead of the SDA 40B that I would have normally used. What would you suggest that I could've used for the conjugate?

[MrPiano2525]

Benzene forms a lower boiling point azeotrope than water + ethanol; the water-benzene conjugate will boil first, leaving 100% ethanol. Because its only 5% water, only trace amounts of benzene are needed. You are right though- for many purposes, absolute ethanol is not required; However, it's good to know for when you need dessicated conditions.

[polylingue]

Are you the Doc from Back to the Future?

[ytmachx]

@polylingue I'm not quite crazy enough, but I'm getting there.

[scienceman64]

If your clever enough you can make a fractional distillation setup that will yield 95% ethanol from cheap parts

[pbsells]

You have a thermometer, a plug and the distill head, what is the fouth one on the far left side and what does it do? thank for the reply in advance.

[ytmachx]

@pbsells The 4th position is the addition funnel which drips in/adds alcohol at the rate of distillation.

[TheBubaSqua]

Where do you buy your glassware?

[ytmachx]

@TheBubaSqua Ebay

[Dochirin]

I have a school assignment where I need to describe this process and the lab equipment used for it. What's the name of the device you're using to heat the liquid so it vaporizes?

[ytmachx]

@Dochirin It is called a "heating mantle"

[Dochirin]

@ytmachx Thanks!

[9DragonMaster]

All this because someone gave him a bottle of Everclear in college. (and he didn't drink it) bravo!

[tenkosami]

1 voter is from Alcoholics Anonymous.

[drfatleg]

Question. I see alot of people using heat mantles. When working with flammable materials such as ethanol, which of the following would you recommend? Using an explosion proof hot plate stirrer or using a heat mantle and magnetic stirrer? I have come across a Thermolyne SHP9 explosion proof hot plate stirrer. The hot plate does not work, only the stirrer. It would cost $500 to fix. For that price I can buy a good heat mantle and just use the explosion proof stirring feature of the SHP9. Help!

[ytmachx]

@drfatleg The heating mantle will heat a RB flask more evenly. Glas-col makes "StirMantles" which are a stirrer and mantle combined and they are under $500

[sparty667]

how are you moderating the still pressure?

[ytmachx]

@sparty667 There is no pressure. The still is vented at the receiver.

[spiff873]

Is it practical to attempt this starting with methylated spirits?

[ytmachx]

@spiff873 Sure, but you would end up with methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) contaminated ethyl alcohol. I wouldn't drink it.

[spiff873]

@ytmachx

Right. My question should have been, would/could this process a) make the methylated spirits more pure (significantly and usefully less methanol, water and other additives), and b) would that product be well suited to producing ether?

Doubtless it would leave some traces of methanol in the ether, just as it's nearly impossible to remove 100.00% of the water, but would it get a ~reasonably~ pure result?

Everclear is banned in my state. Methylated spirits are cheap and available.

[ytmachx]

@spiff873 The denaturing methyl agent is virtually inseparable from the ethyl alcohol by any practical means. I'm sure that your methylated spirits will work just fine for the ether synth .

[lexichronicle2]

@spiff873 The denaturing agent is added to methylated spirits with the specific goal being to make it impossible to distil it under normal conditions and yield drinkable alcohol. There are actually guidelines for how to 'ruin' the alcohol in this way to make it exempt from tax.

Alcohol can be distilled up to anhydrous by using entrainers and by distilling it under vacuum, which causes the water/ethanol azeotrope to break.

Failing everclear, just use some cheapo, own brand vodka

[lexichronicle2]

@spiff873 I'll post the legal guidelines to show that it is more well calculated than you might initially think.... un momento!

[lexichronicle2]

Completely denatured alcohol must be made in accordance with the following formulation: with every 90 parts by volume of alcohol mix 9.5 parts by volume of wood naphtha or a substitute for wood naphtha and 0.5 parts by volume of crude pyridine, and to the resulting mixture add mineral naphtha (petroleum oil) in the proportion of 3.75 litres to every 1000 litres of the mixture and synthetic organic dyestuff (methyl violet) in the proportion of 1.5 grams to every 1000 litres of the mixture

[spiff873]

@lexichronicle2 Thanks for all your help! I've done some further reading; the formula you quoted is one of many, as it turns out. Most seem to wind up with about 90~95% ethanol, 5%~10% "other". Obviously extraction of 100% pure ethanol from the "ruined" spirits would be a huge project! I'd settle for a partial purification, say near-anhydrous and 98% ethanol if it could be done in a couple of passes; I have no intent to consume. I think I will research it a bit more in future.

[TakronRust]

Is this distillation for personal consumption or reagent? Because the addition of benzene will break the Ethanol-Water azeotrope. Benzene, ethanol, and water form a ternary azeotrope with a boiling point of 64.9 °C, which will allow for further purification beyond 95.5%. But will leave the Ethanol unfit for consumption.

[ytmachx]

@TakronRust The EtOH was used in the ether video. I wanted it untainted.

[phukemonster]

those glasswares are very expensive...

[ytmachx]

@phukemonster Yep

[taartj69]

I have a question :)

Can you tell me what parts of glassware and products you're using for your distillation ?

I'd like to do the same distillation for my chemistry project :)

p.s. Awesome video :)

[ytmachx]

@taartj69 Thanks!

Variac,heating mantle,3 neck 500ml RB flask, thermometer,250ml pressure equalized addition funnel, jacketed Claisen/Vigreux column, thermometer, Liebig condenser, Dewar condenser, 1 liter receiving flask, water pump. (The Dewar condenser is unnecessary and can be substituted with a standard 105* adapter) The jacketed Claisen/Vigreux could be substituted with a plain Vigreux column.

[taartj69]

@ytmachx

Thanks a lot...

Now i hope i can find this stuff and buy it xD

[kerryshadow]

nice equipment :)

[ytmachx]

@kerryshadow Thanks

[panzuman]

im going to try this next week but i made the alcohol with the brewing process

[ytmachx]

@panzuman I hope you post a video!

[wthdumbtrick]

i have a question. What cleans a distillation apparatus? Distilled water, ethyl alcohol or what? please answer my question :)

[ytmachx]

@wthdumbtrick There are several ways to clean glassware. First, I use alcoholic KOH. I usually dissolve a portion of KOH or NaOH in methyl alcohol. This takes quite a while as it is not very soluble. The glass is washed and brushed with this solution and then rinsed with distilled water. Then the glass is washed with dilute HCL. If this doesn't work, I use conc. sulfuric or Piranha first, and then the Alcoholic KOH.

[mario8401]

can i distill alcohol from denaturated alcohol ? and then distill over the sodium ? it will be anhydrous ?

[lexichronicle2]

get an aspiration / fridge pump on there and you should, so I've read, be able to split the natural azeotrope and yield dry product (sub 75 mBar does the trick?).

[ytmachx]

@lexichronicle2 Yeah, 20mm or so should do it.

[iammarsstar]

hi & tanx

could i use this method (distillation) to extract alcohol from (alcohol+ denatonium benzoate) solution???

[ytmachx]

@iammarsstar You will have to check for possible azeotropes of that combination. Some azeotropes are difficult to break using simple distillation.

[iammarsstar]

@ytmachx  Thanks a lot.

[blink182chase13]

Where did you get you equipment if I may ask?

[ytmachx]

@blink182chase13 Ebay

[sussanaweljones]

wow u did it at hme! COOL. wanna try it too LOL

[lilpolo20]

Damn, I haven't even seen some of your equipment before.

[ytmachx]

That statement is a contradiction of terms! :}

[tesladude19]

i am ultimately jealous of ur equipment

[ytmachx]

Thanks!~and sorry about that. :]

[tesladude19]

ah..it dont matter...i get my job back here in a bit...so ill have nice(r) things..lol

[strantor]

Is there any specific reason why you are going from 151 to 191? I ask because when I made ethanol it came out 150 proof. Is there a scientific reason that it cannot come out to 191 proof on a single distillation?

[ytmachx]

Yes, I used the alcohol in my Ether Synthesis video. Alcohol cannot be distilled to high purity in one simple distillation because it forms an azeotrope with water. This azeotrope is broken by repeated distillation or by fractionating in a column.

[paopaomanalansan]

How do we proceed with ether synthesis using the purified alcohol or the distillate? What reaction is involved?

[ytmachx]

Watch my other video,"Chemistry Experiment: Ether Sythesis by Distillation"

[dasgemuse]

or you could just buy 190 proof everclear...

[CrazedPsychic]

i been able to save money buy using a filtering flask 2 rubber stoppers with one hole in it on both a 250 ml flask and some latex tubing but that set up that you have is quite impressve

[ytmachx]

Thanks!

[haxforcandy]

Have you tried the absinthe kits you can get online? I bet fractioning one of those kits with some of that white lighting would make quite the product. Neat video, you really have a nice setup.

[ytmachx]

No, I haven't tried that. I'm not drinking the alcohol, it's for chemistry experiments. Thanks for the compliment.

[MariusSemeonOrtiz]

Sure, will keep in touch. You got or know about the book too?

[ytmachx]

I don't know that book.

[MariusSemeonOrtiz]

Nice. I got the book: Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry recently. Gonna start buying the equipment and doing some experiments... So excited!

[citycentregreen]

which book. can you tell me as well. b'cos i m in to it. thanx.

[speedy61793]

hm. on wikipedia it says that distillation cant be done with everclear. what am i missing here lol

[XGsboty]

Bottle on this video says "151 proof" which is about 75.5%. It can indeed be destilled further to about 95%. To go further this, to about 99-100% one needs to reflux with suitable drying agent. My reference suggest calcium or magnesium oxide, magnesium metal (chips) or molecular sieves.

[DocBrewster]

why would you bother when you just have to dilute it back to drink?

or is it to get rid of impurities and thereby hangovers?

[ytmachx]

You didn't read the information carefully. It's not for drinking.

[DocBrewster]

Why else would anyone make it?

[XGsboty]

I'm talking completely about laboratory uses here. Of course it isn't necessary for drinking purposes.

But also in some countries like Finland where I live, such high percentage ethanol isn't even sold (I think). Therefore reflux with magnesium chips would remove the denaturating agent from product intented for other purposes such as cleaning or fuel yielding drinkable ethanol.

[MultiDeathlord]

Would you be my chemistry tutor before the exams tomorrow? I'm doing Separate Science Highest Level for Section 1a & 1b.

Please wish my luck.... P.S. I was joking about my 'tutor' thing because you explained in a tremendous detail.

[ytmachx]

Good luck on your exams. I think maybe I should be learning from you. I have never taken a chemistry class.

[mckinney07]

Now instead of getting drunk with regular Everclear you can get super drunk with this pure potion you made! Nice work mate!