SWIM made some benzyl chloride via benzyl alcohol and about 3 molar excess of 32% w/w HCL solution.
Basically stirred at room temp for 24 hours, then heated to 70DegC for 30 minutes which aided the layer seperation.
Removed benzyl chloride, and distilled quantitative yield of benzyl chloride at 179DegC at atmospheric pressure, with absolutely no problems.
Now comes the problem, decided to re distill.
So changed glassware and placed freshly distilled benzyl chloride in a new flask (washed and oven dried) and reheated at around 170DegC, as soon as distillation was starting something very nasty happened and HCL gas started pouring from the receiver adaptor hose outlet filling the lab with HCL gas.
Once the situation was under control, SWIM vacuum distilled about half of the benzyl chloride and was left with a sticky mess that seems to react with air releasing HCL gas.
TFSE was used, SWIM was totally unprepared for this, and can anybody explain what went wrong.
Abacus