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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: syst3m3rr0r on June 10, 2005, 01:03:39 PM

Title: Butanol
Post by: syst3m3rr0r on June 10, 2005, 01:03:39 PM

Hello! I am a high school chemistry student who just recently finished organic chemistry. My friend and I are interested in oxidizing primary butanol into butyric acid and have done some research on this. We know that this can be accomplished using potassium permanganate and a strong acid, our problem is that we do not have a source of butanol. We have searched all of the internet for a way to synthesize it but haven't found any useful information so our high school chemistry teacher directed us to this site. We found that butanol is used as a solvent in some laquers but we are not sure how to isolate it and the school year is finished so we cannot ask our teacher. Is there a simple way to syntehsize butanol or a easy way to extract it that we are missing? Help is much appreciated.

-Syst3m3rr0r

Title: Re:Butanol
Post by: Donaldson Tan on June 13, 2005, 07:42:55 PM

distillation would work, but i suggest you to examine to composition of lacquar to see if the boiling points of each component differ from butanol by at least 10C.

Title: Re:Butanol
Post by: movies on June 13, 2005, 10:46:53 PM

Yuck.  Butyric acid smells awful, I would advise against heating it.

Title: Re:Butanol
Post by: Mitch on June 14, 2005, 01:45:12 PM

I'm always more fascinated in the different ways high school students can slaughter the English language. "syst3m3rr0r"