Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Reaction kettle glassware

jamit - 30-1-2012 at 05:32

What is the purpose of a reaction kettle glassware? It comes in two pieces.
The bottom piece seems to fit a heating mantle. The top piece has three necks 24/40 joint. Can this be used for distillation?

Lambda-Eyde - 30-1-2012 at 11:10

They're ideal for hard-to-clean reaction mixtures where a #24 neck would be an obstacle. Polymerisations, maybe? I'm not a polymer chemist or biochemist, so I'm not really familiar with these - all I can say is that they're not commonly used in organic chemistry, but you could use one for a distillation, yes. But I don't see why you would choose a kettle over a simple round-bottom flask.

Panache - 1-2-2012 at 03:42

Polymer chemisty is organic chemistry! How offensive!

Lambda-Eyde - 1-2-2012 at 06:13

Quote: Originally posted by Panache  
Polymer chemisty is organic chemistry! How offensive!


I had a discussion about that with a 3rd year Lithuanian exchange student (we were both very drunk), where I exclaimed "Organic chemistry is best chemistry!", to which he answered, "it's the only real chemistry..!" - and then we opened another beer. :D

Anyways, polymerising gunk isn't in the same league as asymmetric synthesis. Just face it!


(I think I may have meant to write "synthesis" instead of "chemistry" in that last post ;) )

turd - 1-2-2012 at 07:34

Quote: Originally posted by Lambda-Eyde  
I had a discussion about that with a 3rd year Lithuanian exchange student (we were both very drunk), where I exclaimed "Organic chemistry is best chemistry!", to which he answered, "it's the only real chemistry..!" - and then we opened another beer. :D

Erm, no? Have you ever had a look in Brauer's or Inorganic Synthesis?

And, frankly, real chemistry starts at 800°C. ;)

jamit - 23-6-2012 at 12:41

I just inherited several 4 L reaction kettle with glas col mantle.
Any suggestion what I can do with this? I was thinking of several things:
making nitric acid in large quantity and ethanol distillation.

Does anyone here on this forum possess these reaction kettle
and what do you use it for? The guys i got it from used it to
make turpentine from wood chips.

I would love to hear from anyone who has had personal experience is using them and those who have one. Thanks

kavu - 23-6-2012 at 12:55

I have used flat flanged reaction vessels to run few large scale synthesis reactions. You will need a clamp and an large O-ring to seal the lid to the vessel. Be careful not to tighten the clamp too far or the vessel (very expensive piece of glassware) will break upon heating. With nitric acid you would be better of with an all glass apparatus. The seal might be attacked by the boiling hot acid. It's always a bit of a hassel trying to set up flanged reaction vessels and I rather prefer a RBF over one.

jamit - 23-6-2012 at 14:45

My lid does not require rubber gasket. It's more like a desiccator lid.
And yes I have the clamps also to secure the kettle.
Just looking fOr some interesting things to do wIth it.

I saw someone use it for chlorate production via electrolysis.
I might try that.

SWilkin676 - 23-6-2012 at 17:00

They are also very handy for things like gassing where you've got a bunch of NaOH or KOH and are generating gas and wind up with a bunch of gunk in the bottom of the flask after.

My husband made one out of a stainless flanged container that they use in restaurants for sauces and a piece of plexiglass. He used copper silicone gasket on top of the metal to seal with the plexiglass and small clamps to hold the lid on.

peach - 23-6-2012 at 23:11

The kettles are also easier to stir magnetically, as you can fit a wide, flat bar in there on the bottom versus the ovals in RBFs; the wide flat bars always win hands down.