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EmteX
December 7th, 2003, 12:33 PM
Making Ethanol from chemicals.
by EmteX

As we all know, sometimes a chemist need 96% ethanol in
the creation of different pyrotechnical devices.
And, as we all know, sometimes this can be troublesome
to obtain. And if the chemist don`t feel like moonshining,
ethanol can be made another way.

Ethanol + vinegar => Etylacetat + water

Etylacetat + Sodiumhydroxide => Ethanol + Sodiumacetat


(Vinegar=acetic acid C2H4O2)



Buy 100% Etylacetat and 100% sodiumhydroxid.

You then mix 3:4 of Etylacetat:NaOH
The reaction should be even, but you use more NaOH, because
it is easier to remove sodiumacetat and sodiumhydroxide from
your ethanol than etylacetat. The reaction is exoterm, so
you should cool it in a bathtub or similar.

You now have a mixture of ethanol, sodiumacetat and sodiumhydroxide.
Then we distill it. No temperature need to be kept, because the
solution consists of clean ethanol-no water!
You just heat it up and collect the fumes. Ethanol boils at
78 degrees celsius. You now have 96% ethanol!

WARNING: Ethanol is toxic.
DONT CONSUME!!
Keep away from childs, pets and braincells!!

Rhadon
December 7th, 2003, 01:23 PM
WARNING: Ethanol is toxic.
DONT CONSUME!!
Keep away from childs, pets and braincells!! Obviously you couldn't resist the temptation to take a nip :D. But preserving our brain cells from what has happened to yours displays a great sense of charity and unselfishness. Others might have chosen a mouse to check the substances' toxicity, but you knew that we need to bring sacrifices in order to gain scientific success and drank the stuff yourself, with the excess of sodium hydroxide and all. Respect :p!