[Wosio01]

Hi! I wanted to make myself some acetone, so I started with the synthesis of calcium acetate. I heard that the temperature of dry distillation of calcium acetate is about 400 degrees Celsius (750 degrees Fahrenheit). Now I don't have a crazy lab, so I do everything at home. So my question is - does calcium acetate expand when heated to the point where it can explode (from pressure)? Are there any other obstacles?

[orthoformate]

Hi! I wanted to make myself some acetone, so I started with the synthesis of calcium acetate. I heard that the temperature of dry distillation of calcium acetate is about 400 degrees Celsius (750 degrees Fahrenheit). Now I don't have a crazy lab, so I do everything at home. So my question is - does calcium acetate expand when heated to the point where it can explode (from pressure)? Are there any other obstacles?

When you heat anything to the point where it enters into the gas phase (e.g. distillation, vaporization, etc) there is always the possibility of pressuring building.

I would strongly recommend you get a hold of this paper:
E. G. R. Ardagh, A. D. Bbarbour, G. E. McClellan, E. W. McBride
Ind. Eng. Chem., 1924, 16 (11), pp 1133–1139
DOI: 10.1021/ie50179a013
Publication Date: November 1924

It's old, but it gives a detailed description of the apparatus you need to do this. I read this description, and it does seem like something you could do in your garage.

One more important point: for this distillation you will need to purchase a tank of nitrogen. They go over this in the paper, but the nitrogen will allow your vessel to be at atmospheric pressure, but devoid of oxygen. it is critical to remove oxygen from the system.

Hope this helps, good luck, sounds fun