Chemistry Experiment: Distillation of Ethanol ( Ethyl Alcohol)

Chemistry experiment: Ethanol is distilled for further purity as a first step in ether synthesis

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Chemistry
• experiment
• Ethyl
• Alcohol
• Ethanol
• Distillation
• purification
• fractional
• distillation
• azeotrope
• lab
• laboratory

[ytmachx]

Please read the comments

[RatkoUSA]

In your synthesis of benzocaine video you used 200 proof ethanol, in my local 190 proof (95%) is available. How can I remove the remaining 5% water? Would re distillation with for instance rock salt added to the boiling flask work? Or would more aggressive means be required such as addition of a solvent with a much different boiling point that has a greater affinity for forming an azeotrope with water?

[ytmachx]

@RatkoUSA I don't think you can salt out that last little bit. I think that you could use a very small amount of benzene to form a higher boiling azeotrope with the water and distill over the alcohol in a relatively pure state.

[RatkoUSA]

@ytmachx can a less toxic solvent such as cyclohexane (the boiling points are nearly identical) be substituted for benzene?

Or is benzene's toxic reputation as a carcinogen, etc., much exaggerated?

[ytmachx]

@RatkoUSA Not sure about the cyclohexane, the benzene reputation comes from an acute exposure.

[demnlordd666]

also I have never seen a cooling jacket quite like that one. interesting. what is the name of that type if you don't mind

[ytmachx]

@demnlordd666 I believe you are referring to the Dewar condenser that has the dry ice in it.

The other pieces are the vacuum jacketed Claisen-Vigreux column and a West condenser.

[tesladude19]

i am ultimately jealous of ur equipment

[THRAVATZA]

awesome set up. Where can I buy lab equipment like this please? are there websites you could directly me to ?

[ytmachx]

@demnlordd666 The SDA 40B is "Specially Denatured Alcohol formula 40 denatured with Brucine" (The brucine used is only a extremely small amount)

[demnlordd666]

really nice setup. I like all your precious glass ware. that pressure equalizing addition funnel is sweet. so what was the entrainer you were talking about SDA 40B or somting? and if you didn't use that here what did you use that was easier for the home experimenter.  thanks and again nice setup