The Vespiary

The Hive => Chemistry Discourse => Topic started by: Avalokita on May 26, 2004, 06:10:00 PM

Title: Any OTC and renewable ethanol drying chemicals?
Post by: Avalokita on May 26, 2004, 06:10:00 PM: Absolute Ethanol?

If my memory of a chemical catalogue I once read serves me, I read that Calcium Oxide and Molecular sieve 4A can be used for drying ethanol, but I was wondering if anyone knew of an OTC chemical that can be reused by drying it in an oven?

I read about Epsom Salts being used to dry isopropyl alcohol, and Dririte is available, so I am wondering if Epsom Salts or Dririte would work to dry ethanol?
Title: Molecular Sieves
Post by: methyl_ethyl on May 26, 2004, 07:54:00 PM: Molecular sieves can be dried in the oven at 175 - 260C for the 3 angstrom bead. Which would be ideal for drying ethanol. They are OTC also, or at least the procurement of the sieves is not suspicious.

regards,

m_e
Title: CuSO4
Post by: imp on May 26, 2004, 10:32:00 PM: UTSE better...

Post 412388 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=7155.msg41238800#msg41238800)
(Chimimanie: "(...) With this procedure the ordinary 95°...", Chemistry Discourse)
Title: Barium oxide maybe?
Post by: Shane_Warne on May 26, 2004, 10:53:00 PM: BaO. The carbonate is common.

I don't know how completly it dries alcohol, but it is marketed for drying alcohol.

Maybee you could use something like BaO or CaO and then follow with something more visual like the CuSO4, that imp suggested.
Title: BaO
Post by: gsus on May 27, 2004, 11:59:00 AM: BaO was the last step in the old days, after drying with CaO, and still is in some labs. BaO will get kinda hot with say 95%, CaO might also, though is fine after CuSO4. BaO will give quite anhydrous alcohol though, and storage over some is a good idea.
Title: Drying ethanol
Post by: wyndowlicker on May 28, 2004, 03:19:00 PM: HEy now,

Here is a good place to take a look for the answers:

Drying ethanol with molecular seives
Post 508292 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=11014.msg50829200#msg50829200)
(wyndowlicker: "Drying ethanol with molecular seives", Newbee Forum)
:P
Title: > "Any OTC and renewable ethanol ...
Post by: Osmium on May 29, 2004, 04:21:00 AM: > "Any OTC and renewable ethanol drying chemicals?"

The cheapest, most renewable and most OTC alcohol drying agent is CORN MEAL/GRITS.

http://www.journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_grits.html (http://www.journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_grits.html)

Ground corn selectively adsorbs water to give anhydrous product from ethanol vapors containing between 1.6 and 50.9% water. An adiabatic corn adsorber system is characterized by formation of a combined wave front (the temperature and concentration waves elute from the column at the same time). Corn is stable under cyclic use when regeneration is carried out with air or N2 at 80 to 120 deg C. The energy required to regenerate the adsorbent is less than 1500 Btu/gal (528 kJ/kg) of anhydrous product obtained from ethanol vapor containing 7.4% water. Anhydrous product also results when water-containing vapors of n-propyl, isopropyl, or tert-butyl alcohol are passed over corn. Corn and other polysaccharide materials have potential as low-cost adsorbents for energy efficient water removal from alcohols.
Title: Re: Any OTC and renewable ethanol ...
Post by: former_chemist on May 31, 2004, 02:20:00 PM: I see a lot of bonuses to the cornmeal approach to drying ethanol.

One: a new cornbread recipe.
Two: the cornmeal can be used to make more ethanol.
Three: very environmentally friendly.
Four: very OTC.

One downside though: contamination.