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Topic: Separating methylacetate from methanol  (Read 4331 times)

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Offline KdeK

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Separating methylacetate from methanol
« on: February 14, 2016, 10:25:49 AM »
I am looking for a way to separate an azeotropic mixture of methanol and methylacetate. Distillation is not an option due to the proximity in boiling temperatures. Also I need a simple process which is do-able for a high school student. Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks in advance,  :)



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Offline Babcock_Hall

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2016, 02:37:37 PM »
It is a forum rule that you must show your attempt first before we can help.  If not distillation, then what other methods might you try?
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Offline KdeK

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2016, 05:53:21 PM »
I'm sorry. I've just read the forum rules and understand your point.

Well I first googled it and I found patents of all sorts of very difficult industrial processes with a lot of steps and chemicals involved. Then I tried thinking for myself. And I thought maybe adding water would be a good idea. Because I know methanol dissolves in water, but then I figured out methylacetate does too. I thought maybe liquid-liquid extraction would be a good idea but then realised they (methylacetate and methanol) are both non polar molecules so extraction will not work. Basically I'm stuck and every road I went down lead me straight to the beginning.
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Offline Burner

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2016, 07:46:51 PM »
Methanol is polar while methylacetate is relatively non-polar.
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Offline Arkcon

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2016, 08:57:16 PM »
That explains why the patents we've read seem to do solvent extractions.  You'll eventually get the methyl acetate in a solvent that has a very different boiling point, then distill.  I don't see how this can be a high school project though.
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Offline KdeK

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2016, 04:45:24 AM »
So liquid-liquid extraction is possible? I first do that and then distill? Thank you for your replies!
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Offline Babcock_Hall

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2016, 08:55:56 AM »
@OP, Do you know any solvents which are immiscible with methanol?
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Offline KdeK

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2016, 10:47:24 AM »
Yes, pentane and hexane. Bot very non-polar. Those are the ones I know of.
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Offline Babcock_Hall

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2016, 10:49:05 AM »
Do you think it might be possible to use hexane to separate methanol from methyl acetate?  Are there any limitations?
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Offline AWK

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2016, 06:53:36 PM »
Anhydrous calcium chloride forms preferential solvates with alcohols (methanol, ethanol).
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Offline aga

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Re: Separating methylacetate from methanol
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2016, 03:04:23 PM »
If one is polar and the other not, 'salting out' in the liquid phase will probably work.

Try it on a test-tube scale with sodium chloride,  potassium carbonate or tripotassium phosphate and please let us know what happens.
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