Housane
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Strange white powder while making Phthalic Acid
I've just tried to replicate Nile reds Phthalic acid video at 1/2 scale and when pouring in the NaOH I got 2 layers instantly and then after reflux I get an orange layer and some
powdery white solid, any idea what may have happened?
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Syn the Sizer
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My guess is there was some impurities in the solution. Possibly still polymer which is probably the orange colour. The powder could also be cause by
that as well.
Do you know what alcohol was estered with the phthalic acid as the plasticizer?
To be honest, it is fairly cheap to buy phthalic anhydride pure. Are you just doing this for fun or are you having a hard time sourcing it?
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DraconicAcid
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Would the orange layer be the alcohol that you're hydrolyzing off the phthalate ester?
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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Housane
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Alcohol was isopropanol and I didn't have a soxhlet so it was just refluxed In a flask to extract it
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Housane
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Is it worth repeating without the 2nd reflux as I got the 2 layers as described in the video?
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DraconicAcid
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If the gloves you're starting with contain di(ethylhexyl)phthalate, then you would have ethylhexanol as a byproduct, which would be upper orange
layer.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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Syn the Sizer
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That would make sense. I have never synthesized the acid from gloves, I just buy it.
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Housane
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Ok, thanks for the help I’m going to try without 2nd reflux again.
Do you think the white is waste as well or product, it has a minty kinda air freshener smell
Green QD's so far
Feel free to correct grammar or incorect knknowledge. We are all learning.
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