Organic Chemistry Lab Demo: Isolation of Limonene (part 2)

A demonstration of limonene extraction from orange peels used in Organic Chemistry labs.

Demonstrations conducted by:
Dr. Scott Allen
Assistant Professor, Chemistry/Physics, University of Tampa

Directed by:
Gordon McClelland
Computing and Information Services, Vassar College

Produced by:
Cristian Opazo
Academic Computing Services, Vassar College

Production Assistants:
Ken Bolton and Steve Taylor
Academic Computing Services, Vassar College

Post-production by:
Becca Marcus
Vassar College, class of 2008

Thanks to Ed Wroblewski, Film Department, Vassar College

Copyright © 2007, 2008 by Vassar College.
Do not reproduce, download or edit without permission.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Organic
• Chemistry
• Lab
• Extraction
• Isolation
• Limonene
• Orange
• Peels
• Steam
• Distillation
• Demo
• Demonstration
• Vassar

[village1diot]

@Grundalizer I wanted to know the same about the anti-foam B. I did a little research and found that vegetable oil , milk, cream, and salt have been used as anti-foaming agents before silicon emulsions(which is what anti-foam B is) were produced. I am going to try a little vegetable oil and see if that will work. If not, I'll use a bigger flask.

[Grundalizer]

I just tried this distillation but with lime peels and grapefruit. I didn't scrape off the pith, and the fruit was rather old to begin with. I'll have to buy fresh oranges and try it again, because I just got water out that smelled a little of limes, and wasn't even acidic.

Anti-foam B seems like a rather exotic thing to get for a home chemist though, are there any subsitutes?

[Ishy617]

Damn, has anyone ever told you that you look like Ben Affleck? @.@ Thanks for the videos!!!

[brendon778]

You are unclear at the end, does the solution already contain the ethanol, or do you have to add it?

[TAz69x]

@Olshia666 Isolate with a Liquid-Liquid extraction using the DCM.

[silendshade]

@davemadfish

that really is not a problem. only once have i seen it being a problem. but that was in the synthesis of sulfur trioxide. and even then it did not really harm it at all, it just made it black.

[davemadfish]

no no no never never never grease the joins.

well unless you want grease in whatever your making

[Olshia666]

In the previous part you said something about dichloromethane. How do you actually isolate the limonene? I mean here you have some sort of solution, is that correct? And, finally, do you add the ethanol to the distilate and then filter it through the pipette? Sorry, got a bit confused at the end of the video, so could you please tell me nice and clear how to get PURE limonene (meaning as pure as possible)

Thanks

[MattyMatt761]

Those joint clips look nice! We didn't have any in my Ochem lab and it was a pain because we always had to use way to many stands and all other sorts of "ingenius" methods to get our glassware to stay well connected.

[BradBaldwintheDrumm]

what are we greasing joints with? Glycerin maybe?