Sciencemadness Discussion Board

The Humble Beginning

xeneficus - 21-7-2016 at 19:04

Here's the beginning of my lab setup!

I took this community's wonderful advice from my previous thread and just got what I needed for a few experiments. I think that worrying about what to get and overplanning was just procrastination. Going ahead and getting what I need along the way was great advice.

Towards the right, in the foaming kitchen measuring cup is 35g of crushed eggshells in 600mL of kitchen grade white vinegar (or 0.833M acetic acid if I'm feeling pretentious). I know I shouldn't use kitchen utensils for chemistry, but this is only because all the materials are safe, intended really, for consumption. I'm going to get a few beakers for when I start to do more.

I'm currently doing NileRed's calcium acetate synthesis, and I plan on doing a caffeine extraction from the pills you see next with a method I designed myself (!) based on NileRed's video on extracting chemicals from OTC products. I might come back for help if it turns out I designed my procedure wrong or am having trouble recrystallizing the caffeine.

Thank you for all the help so far, and thank you for welcoming me into the community!

Loptr - 21-7-2016 at 19:51

"He'll be back. They always come back."

Welcome! Take off your coat and stay a while. Come back even if you didn't screw up.

:)

[Edited on 22-7-2016 by Loptr]

j_sum1 - 21-7-2016 at 22:15

Welcome xeneficus.
I love the enthusiasm and motivation.

CRUSTY - 22-7-2016 at 09:08

Hah, this kinda brings me back. I think we all more or less started with something akin to this (for us home chemists, that is). My first chemical I acquired was a ziploc bag of 2 lbs of KNO3, which I still have yet to use half of to this date :D. Good luck with your coming projects, and welcome!

NEMO-Chemistry - 22-7-2016 at 10:17

Quote: Originally posted by xeneficus  
Here's the beginning of my lab setup!

I took this community's wonderful advice from my previous thread and just got what I needed for a few experiments. I think that worrying about what to get and overplanning was just procrastination. Going ahead and getting what I need along the way was great advice.

Towards the right, in the foaming kitchen measuring cup is 35g of crushed eggshells in 600mL of kitchen grade white vinegar (or 0.833M acetic acid if I'm feeling pretentious). I know I shouldn't use kitchen utensils for chemistry, but this is only because all the materials are safe, intended really, for consumption. I'm going to get a few beakers for when I start to do more.

I'm currently doing NileRed's calcium acetate synthesis, and I plan on doing a caffeine extraction from the pills you see next with a method I designed myself (!) based on NileRed's video on extracting chemicals from OTC products. I might come back for help if it turns out I designed my procedure wrong or am having trouble recrystallizing the caffeine.

Thank you for all the help so far, and thank you for welcoming me into the community!


Nice start! I think heating the egg shells first in an oven might destroy the protein layer inside the shell. I used a gash torch on mine.

Egg shells seem pretty much pure calcium carbonate except the pesky protein layer.

Anyway sounds like your off to great start

Amos - 22-7-2016 at 10:56

If you don't already have a cheap hot plate, I'd highly recommend going to a Kroger, Walmart, or whatever other retailer you have nearby and getting a cheap electric kitchen hot plate. The AROMA ones are like $18 and can reach well over 300 C.

zed - 22-7-2016 at 15:06

Humphh. The fellers seem to think yer maybe gonna OK, if'n you don't get killed.

So.....be careful with that straight razor. And, stay a little longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvX8MijgeW8

[Edited on 22-7-2016 by zed]