RareEarth
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Refluxing with a bunsen burner or other torch - safety precautions?
I've never heated a vessel with anything other than an electric heating element in the past, but because of present circumstances I am going to be
having to use a torch-type heater for my experiments for the time being.
I've never heated this way before. Is there any sort of precautions I need to take? If I am refluxing solvents such as acetone or similar, is there
any risk of forming a combustible mixture in the air as long as the refluxing column is good enough? Any specific precautions I should take so I don't
have a small explosion occurring? I know bunsen type burners are very commonly used throughout history, but I have no experience with them.
* The room would be continuously ventilated to a fair extent.
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by RareEarth]
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aga
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Most important will to Be There all the time.
Make sure your glass is all sealed well, and it will be fine.
Edit:
I usually use a flame to distill Ethanol, Methanol, Acetone etc.
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by aga]
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by aga]
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gdflp
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I would not reflux any flammable organic solvent, such as alcohols, ethers, or acetone. There is just too large a risk for a fire occurring, even
though it has been used often historically, it is not good practice. If you decide to do so, I would not leave it unattended for any period of time
and have a fire safety protocol ready. A wire gauze should be used to prevent uneven heating and cracking of the flask as well.
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RareEarth
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I'm not worried about fires, I'm worried about a combustible mixture forming in the air. I wouldn't be refluxing the solvents straight, they would be
mixed with water among other things. There would maybe be 15% of low BP solvent in the reaction mixture by volume.
I was thinking one thing I could probably do would be to run the upper end of the condenser into a bucket of water attached to a hose, just in case
any vapors were to escape through the top.
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aga
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Eeeek !
I should have asked your Age, and Where exactly you plan on using a flame to do a reflux experiment.
If it's under your bed, or in a cupboard under the stairs, categorically No !
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by aga]
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RareEarth
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Quote: Originally posted by aga  | Eeeek !
I should have asked your Age, and Where exactly you plan on using a flame to do a reflux experiment.
If it's under your bed, or in a cupboard under the stairs, categorically No !
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by aga] |
I own my own house and have a fully equipped room dedicated as my lab with proper ventilation, carbon, hepa filters, CO alarms, smoke alarms, roof
mounted fire-sprinklers, fire extinguishers, chemicals all properly labeled with MSDS's, and so on. If that answers your question. I've been an
amateur chemist for a little over 4 years now, I just have never used a torch for heating (never needed to) before which I am going to have to for now
since my heating devices are no longer working abd I won't be able to purchase more for a few weeks at least.
Like I said, I am not worried about a fire. I am equipped for that. What I am not equipped for is an explosion blowing the walls down.
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aga
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Very sensible to ask then.
For my part, i tend to distill and reflux with an open flame.
It is dangerous, yet works.
If your Scale is small, and you are watching the experiment all (or most) of the time, have thought through all of the possibilities, then it should
work in the same way as it has worked for many years.
Perhaps add the top cut off a 5 Litre plastic bottle to the top of your condenser in case of foam-up or extreme bumping leaping out of the apparatus.
Edit:
Inverted to act as a funnel
[Edited on 23-4-2015 by aga]
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