Chemical industry

[GC_MS]

Before the Chemist was able to produce vanillin synthetically, it would cost about 3500 Reichsmark per kg. By 1890, the price of synthetic vanillin was 3000 Reichsmark for the same quantity. In 1908, the same quantity costed only 30 Reichsmark...

And because most of you don't have a clue what a Reichsmark is:




20 Mk was a goldpiece.

Or, to make an even not that long story short: there is a reason that people (or chemists) don't source vanillin from commercially available extracts.

[armageddon]

[methymouse]

"Or, to make an even not that long story short: there is a reason that people (or chemists) don't source vanillin from commercially available extracts."

Indeed.  I'm usually one for getting everything OTC as hell, but Vanillin has to be about the least suspicious chemical in the world.  SWIM uses his for chemistry *and* to flavor his fucking coffee.  It's real fucking cheap too, mine was $25/8oz, though I've since found it cheaper.

[wolff_kishner]

Does anyone know the concentration of vanillin in vanilla extract? I have a feeling it is mostly alcohol and water, with relatively little vanillin. If the concentration is as low as I think it is, this would be an expensive way to get a relatively cheap and unwatched chemical.

[Sam_Bin_Laden]

I thought it contains 2% at most. But aside vanillin, it contains other substances as well.

[Captain_America]

Well, just stay away from metal hydrides then. Catalytic hydrogenation would seem to be the obvious substitute.

Hydrides would work just fine, as well as Zn/HCl, catalytic hydrogenation on the other hand would reduce the C=C of allyl and give proscaline instead of AL.