Sciencemadness Discussion Board

i have a distillation apparatus but i cant really use it.

lordcookies24 - 3-1-2019 at 13:08

my round bottom flask only touches a bit of my hot plate which does not efficiently transfer energy. i know i can get a heating mantle but they are expensive. does anybody know of anyway to get around this problem?

btw my shift key is broken so that is why i don't have any capital letters

fusso - 3-1-2019 at 13:35

Put a water/oil bath between the RBF and hotplate.
Both shifts broken?!

lordcookies24 - 3-1-2019 at 13:52

Quote: Originally posted by fusso  

Both shifts broken?!


my laptop getting old rip

ninhydric1 - 3-1-2019 at 14:02

I second what fusso says. You can use a metal pot, fill it with water or oil, put it on top of the hotplate and partially submerge your flask in the fluid.

Also, welcome to the forum!

Ubya - 3-1-2019 at 14:13

a sand bath can be used for higher temperatures

XeonTheMGPony - 3-1-2019 at 14:51

How competent are you with making basic things? and what is expensive to you?

lordcookies24 - 3-1-2019 at 15:06

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
How competent are you with making basic things? and what is expensive to you?


i don't really know what would be classified as basic, i understand chemistry in theory but am only now getting in practice, i have a low budget since i already spent around $350 on glassware and a hot plate

Metacelsus - 3-1-2019 at 15:12

Besides water and oil, baths of metal beads may also be useful.

Also, how did you type the $ sign without a shift key?

Abromination - 3-1-2019 at 15:45

I just touch my round bottom flasks to my hotplate and that has always seemed sufficient for me.
Never had a problem.

lordcookies24 - 3-1-2019 at 17:13

Quote: Originally posted by Metacelsus  
Besides water and oil, baths of metal beads may also be useful.

Also, how did you type the $ sign without a shift key?


That response was on my phone. Like this one.

cyanureeves - 3-1-2019 at 21:00

i always used aluminum foil as insulator.i wrapped the foil around the flask and over the hotplate like a mary poppins skirt.all the heat escaping the hot plate is directed over and around the round flask.worked awesome and never has my flasks touched the burner.

XeonTheMGPony - 4-1-2019 at 03:58

Quote: Originally posted by lordcookies24  
Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
How competent are you with making basic things? and what is expensive to you?


i don't really know what would be classified as basic, i understand chemistry in theory but am only now getting in practice, i have a low budget since i already spent around $350 on glassware and a hot plate


let me rephrase, can you wire a basic electrical circuit, and cut a soup can with out dying?

If so a 1500w light dimmer from local store, and a mantle from daschem for 33 dollars cad and some wire = veritable power heating mantle for about 50 dollars

If you have access to an old oven then you can salvage the high temp wire and the infinite switch from that but will be less precise then a dimmer

Once wired, the soup can was carefully packed with mineral insulating wool to insulate the live wires and to immobilize them inside the can.

If you want to make a separate build thread a great many of us should be able to help you.

P4160470.JPG - 1.4MB heating mantel.jpg - 515kB

[Edited on 4-1-2019 by XeonTheMGPony]

lordcookies24 - 4-1-2019 at 06:10

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
Quote: Originally posted by lordcookies24  
Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
How competent are you with making basic things? and what is expensive to you?


i don't really know what would be classified as basic, i understand chemistry in theory but am only now getting in practice, i have a low budget since i already spent around $350 on glassware and a hot plate


let me rephrase, can you wire a basic electrical circuit, and cut a soup can with out dying?

If so a 1500w light dimmer from local store, and a mantle from daschem for 33 dollars cad and some wire = veritable power heating mantle for about 50 dollars

If you have access to an old oven then you can salvage the high temp wire and the infinite switch from that but will be less precise then a dimmer

Once wired, the soup can was carefully packed with mineral insulating wool to insulate the live wires and to immobilize them inside the can.

If you want to make a separate build thread a great many of us should be able to help you.



[Edited on 4-1-2019 by XeonTheMGPony]





Yea I can do that without dying. Do you use nichrome wire for heating?

Edit: a accidentally uploaded a pic



[Edited on 4-1-2019 by lordcookies24]

Ubya - 4-1-2019 at 06:42

no need for nichrome wire, on ebay you can buy the already made heating element woven with glass fiber in a cup shape

Amos - 4-1-2019 at 07:10

Heat rises off the hot plate. 80% of the distillations I do use nothing but a centimeter or two of air between the flask and hot plate. If you want to increase the heating efficiency just put a cone of foil around the boiling flask (narrow at the neck and as wide as the hot plate itself at the bottom)

Heptylene - 4-1-2019 at 08:11

Quote: Originally posted by Ubya  
no need for nichrome wire, on ebay you can buy the already made heating element woven with glass fiber in a cup shape


Sometimes they only sell the glass sleeve without heating element (and they count on people not seeing this), so make sure to read the listing before buying. Maybe winding a heating element from nichrome would feasible anyway if you have a glass sleeve.

happyfooddance - 4-1-2019 at 08:20

Quote: Originally posted by cyanureeves  
i always used aluminum foil as insulator.i wrapped the foil around the flask and over the hotplate like a mary poppins skirt.
Quote: Originally posted by Amos  
If you want to increase the heating efficiency just put a cone of foil around the boiling flask (narrow at the neck and as wide as the hot plate itself at the bottom)


Same great advice, but have to say I like cyanureeves' characterization a little better :)

XeonTheMGPony - 4-1-2019 at 16:40

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/500ml-250W-Inner-Sleeve-use-for-500m...

here is the link too

[Edited on 5-1-2019 by XeonTheMGPony]

lordcookies24 - 6-1-2019 at 17:55

does not really matter cause i just broke half of my apparatus like a retard, i am getting new glassware tho

XeonTheMGPony - 6-1-2019 at 18:29

Go slow and gentle with your glass wear, but breaking it is part of the learning, when ever practical get two of every thing just for that reason.

Good quality silicon grease goes a long way, I use a type meant for water filters but have found it holds up good to most things.

Tsjerk - 6-1-2019 at 23:41

I prefer sandbaths, no sticky oil on your flask and it absorps chemicals in case of a brake, and you can go above a hundred degrees.

Also the flask won't start floating when it goes empty.

DrP - 7-1-2019 at 03:33

Quote: Originally posted by fusso  
Put a water/oil bath between the RBF and hotplate.


That is the normal suggested solution that they teach you at school.
Quote: Originally posted by Tsjerk  


Also the flask won't start floating when it goes empty.


Clamp it. You are supposed to clamp these things as a safety precaution anyway.

So - yea - oil/water/sand bath on the hot plate is standard. Always clamp it as standard.

XeonTheMGPony - 7-1-2019 at 03:55

If not too late keep the broken pieces, crush to repetitively moderate size (6-10mm) sieve to remove fines and save them as boiling chips. Trust me when I say you will be needing them as you pursue the art of distillation.