Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Steam Generator for Steamdistillations

Organikum - 24-7-2022 at 05:18

So I am getting tired of rigging up the setup for steamdistillations with external steam source and directly from the flask takes often forever or needs sophisticated precautions against foamig or splashing.

As steam-cans the traditional copper devices only exist anymore in universities to hassle students and the are a tidy bit antiquated I searched for a modern option.

First option is a wallpaper remover. It was recommended by somebody on another board and told to work well. This one has a 4 liter tank 2000W and makes about 58 g of steam per minute at a pressure < 2 bar.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/373319960425

I then looked further and found this "Steam cleaner" which is about the same power rating, makes 50 g of steam per minute when on "continous" setting and does so at 3,5 bar pressure. It has only 1,5 liter water but can be refilled whilst running.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/374186602077

And then the Chinese monster, with 3000W, up to 115°C steam-temperature and 300-350 kPa (3 to 3,5 bar). The water throughput is said to be an whopping 200 to 500 ml per minute, it can be regulated and the water comes by tube from a separate bucket, whats nice the pump is self-priming and sucks up to 2 m so thats just fine. The smaller version of this has a named time limit for use of 30 minutes, I could not find anything regarding this for the big boy.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/175357598518?

Has anybody used one of these, in the lab or anywhere, and has some experiences to share? Or maybe somebody knows something even better and cheaper what I overlooked?

I contemplated to build something myself, but looking at the prices and the heap of unfinished projects calling my name thats just not economical, and so this is pretty much out of question.


/ORG

Mush - 24-7-2022 at 16:28

4 stage mono tube boiler build High output
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yw3AvSheEE

Or maybe this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVxgUmP2XdE

Handheld steam cleaner Degreaser DIY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxlZRIour2Q

Simple construction, badass device.

"Chinese monster"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1oCmQSKQTl0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv93KH7JOGQ

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32825303438.html?spm=a2g0o.p...

[Edited on 25-7-2022 by Mush]

Mateo_swe - 11-8-2022 at 01:43

I read some use a pressure coocker as the steam source for distillations.
A used one is cheap at a second hand store and i think they work pretty well as a steam source.

Fantasma4500 - 3-9-2022 at 08:42

"Handheld steam cleaner Degreaser DIY" is a very cool design, i wager with a descending spiral design one would need much less windings
i believe its coiled by filling the copper tube with sand so that it doesnt deflate when bending
seemingly its doable to weld copper using a spotwelder, i made my own so thats very doable
TIG welding is not easy, silver is more typically used for joining copper, zinc brazing is also a thing, seems he used some kind of brass brazing technique

if you must, i'd assume just plugging maximum size of heating element into power socket and then having that coiled around something like concrete in a closed container, then adding water to that, could also work well, i believe in europe its about 10 amps we can pull from the socket times 240 volts? 2400w. heating elements can be bought rather cheap on ebay, i bought like 10 pieces because they were so cheap

yes- i totally digressed OP's wish for wanting to just buy the finished piece, but i dont think it would be that tricky to get to work, especially not if you use a rubber plug to stopper the hole where you put in water