Balzack
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Simple Vanillin Extraction
Greetings,
I've seen a video of vanillin extraction on Youtube. It uses diethyl ether to extract the vanillin from cheap store bought vanilla extract, and goes
on to distill off the ether and then recrystallize the vanillin crystals using water.
I'm interested in doing the same, but am wondering if d-Limonene would work in the separation/extraction rather than ether. This would (I hope) make
the process food-safe.
I'm also wondering if the creator of the Youtube video distills off the ether simply because he wants to reuse it later, or what? From my
understanding, you could just let the vanillin/ether solution sit out in order to let the ether evaporate.
That being said, I don't want to have to deal with distillation. Would D-limonene easily evaporate after the separation, leaving my (probably
relatively crude) vanillin crystals?
Thanks much!
Here is a link to the video for reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7ZDSFEsrGg
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kristofvagyok
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Quote: Originally posted by Balzack  | Greetings,
I've seen a video of vanillin extraction on Youtube. It uses diethyl ether to extract the vanillin from cheap store bought vanilla extract, and goes
on to distill off the ether and then recrystallize the vanillin crystals using water.
I'm interested in doing the same, but am wondering if d-Limonene would work in the separation/extraction rather than ether. This would (I hope) make
the process food-safe. |
If there is an easy method, why would you use a much more expensive and much harder method to do a simple thing?
At first: why is ether extraction non food safe? And why limonene extraction is?
Second: the price of the ether compared to the limonene is a bad joke.
Third: limonene has a high boiling point compared to the ether and the vanilline is a molecule what doesn't like to be heated.
Fourth: if you are planning to make food grade vanilline from store bought vanilla extract, then why not you buy some cheap vanilline?
Fifth: Limonene has a really characteristic smell even in low concentrations, your vanilline will smell like an orange.
Sixth: working a lot with something simple will always result little efficiency.
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smaerd
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This has got to be a joke. Food grade vanillin can be bought, but a fear of using real solvents will get you absolutely nowhere in organic chemistry.
It's not like your planning on eating the solvent right? I mean that's not what solvents are for, right? Not to freak you out but there is likely a
greater concentration of contaminants in the air you breath walking down a busy street then there would be solvent in a properly evaporated compound.
A greater worry for diethylether rather then it's edibility would be it's tendency to form explosive peroxides.
Anyways, to answer your question will limonene evaporate easily. The answer is no.
You could always try another solvent maybe ethyl acetate.
[Edited on 6-12-2012 by smaerd]
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UnintentionalChaos
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Find a cheap vanilla extract that contains mostly water, ethanol, and vanillin. Boil off the ethanol and chill it. Solid crystallizes out.
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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Nicodem
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Thread Moved
7-12-2012 at 07:21 |
zed
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Acquiring Pure crystalline Vanillin is no big deal. Bakers and such, use lots of it. I recently saw some on an auction site for about 30dollars U.S.
per Kilo. Smaller amounts are also available.
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