Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Steam/Azeotropic Distillation and PH

dead-n - 25-9-2009 at 20:55

Hello all!,

Edit* just to make this clear.. What I am calling steam distillation is nothing more then a mixture of product and water being boiled and then condensed back to liquid.. Not sure this is really called steam distillation, I just don't have an external steam source and all of that going...

back to the post:

I hope this makes sense. I am using a standard water distiller to distill a substance that comes over easily in steam or is it called azeotropic distillation since what I am distilling would be considered an azeotrope. So long as what I am distilling is under a PH of 6 it seems to come over into the distillate fine.

Now if I add more tap water to give more steam in the mix to bring over more of this azeotrope it brings over less and less of what I am going for..

I have tried adding acid but it must be too much since it always turns my product that i wish to distill into a black/redish color.

My question is this, does adding water to provide more steam to pull over substances that do come over in steam have any change to the PH of my product that I am distilling?

And another thing,, the distillate should always be the same PH as whatever it is that I am distilling correct?

I really wish I had a good book covering this but I'm not sure where to look since I have no more chem education other then some high school.

It could have nothing to do with PH and I have gotten all that I can distill out but that would mean my yields must be god awful. Hoping it's bad distillation knowledge or the fact that I'm using a water distiller instead of a proper distillation apparatus..

Thanks guys!
-DN




[Edited on 26-9-2009 by dead-n]

Sedit - 25-9-2009 at 21:49

What are you attempting to distill? With out that knowledge it makes it hard for us to help teach you what vapor pressure and hydro/ Co-distillation is all about.

Im sorry but your talking about PH affecting a substrate we know nothing about.

User - 26-9-2009 at 02:16

Can you please re-explain whatever you are trying to say, i'm sorry but you dont make any sense at all.

-What do you want.
-What do you have.


[Edited on 26-9-2009 by User]