achem500 - 24-7-2012 at 21:31
Hey guys,
I had a question about what drying agent to use, and also what kind of setup (plastic bag, dessicator, etc). The two drying agents that I would favor
are magnesium sulfate or sodium hydroxide. Also, what are some alternatives to a dessicator?
Thanks.
zoombafu - 24-7-2012 at 21:56
Use magnesium sulphate (Epsom Salt) or calcium chloride (Damp Rid). As far as a desiccator all you need is a container that you can seal both your
desiccant and your sample to be dried in. I Use Mason Jars and put my desiccant on the bottom and I have a little rack that I built to put the sample
on. For a larger scale i put a jar of desiccant and a jar of the sample in a tupperware container.
bahamuth - 25-7-2012 at 00:11
For a general desiccator for removing water I would use silica gel as it has a much much lower vapor pressure at room temp than either mentioned
previous in this thread. Easy to regenerate too.
Also it depends what you want to remove/dry, HCl/CaCl mix for acids, like removing acetic acid/water or HCl/water from a compound, or if you need a
volatile base removed or extreme low water content, drying over concentrated sulfuric acid works well.
Additionally this is covered in multiple threads....
Panache - 25-7-2012 at 03:05
if you have access to or know anyone with a pottery kiln simply drying out some marble chips (nursery garden store etc) to quicklime makes for a cheap
and convenient drying ageny
achem500 - 25-7-2012 at 09:26
Thanks a bunch!