BTEC LEVEL 3 ASSIGNMENT 4B - Explore the manufacturing techniques and testing methods for an organic liquid
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ASSIGNMENT 4B
Explore the manufacturing techniques and
testing methods for an organic liquid
P3 – PREPARE AND TEST THE
PURITY OF AN ORGANIC LIQUID AND
DRAW CONCLUSIONS
In this section of the assignment I will be discussing the practical work
carried out within the laboratory in order to achieve the production of a nail
varnish remover. In the duration of the practical work we had to test the
purity of an organic liquid as well as the preparation. A range of
manufacturing techniques were used to achieve this such as reflux and
distillation. Firstly I will discuss the principles behind distillation and reflux.
Distillation
Distillation is used as a manufacturing technique in order to divide the
compounds of a liquid. This process works due to the contrast of the boiling
points for each compound present in the liquid. The boiling point is referred
to the point at which the liquid boils, scientifically this is when the liquid
being heated it transitions into a vapour. This is due to the fact that the
atmospheric pressure of the surroundings become equal to pressure of the
vapour. The use of fractional distillation was applied in the laboratory
experiment we carried out. Fractional distillation has the same principles as
distillation however it is utilised when the difference in the boiling points of
the compounds are minimal.
,Reflux
As well as the use of distillation the technique known as reflux was also used
for the laboratory experiment. Reflux is utilised to heating mixture used for a
reaction to it’s boiling point with the use of a condenser in order to condense
vapours present into the reaction flask being heated up. Because of this
reflux is a method which is considered to allow the reaction time to be longer
to achieve completion. Additionally the substance being heated up is less
likely to be lost to the atmosphere due to this technique. The compounds
undergo reaction since the vapours that arise due to the application of heat
on the reaction mixture enter through the Liebig condenser and transition
back into liquid state.
The two manufacturing techniques outlined above were utilised for the
experiment we had undertaken in the laboratory.
EXPERIMENT – preparing ethyl ethanoate and testing
its purity
Ethyl ethanoate is an ester with a range of chemical properties and physical
properties. Such properties include the fact that it is colourlessness and can
be flammable. Ethyl ethanoate is produced due to the chemical reaction that
is undertaken when ethanoic acid undergoes a reaction between ethanol.
Within the reaction sulfuric acid is utilised as a catalyst and without the
presence of sulfuric acid the reaction between the two would be much
slower. Once the production of ethyl is achieved it can be used in a variety of
applications such as the removal of caffeine in caffeinated drinks such as tea
and coffee as well as acting as a solvent for many chemical reactions.
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, Aim of the experiment
The aim of the experiment carried out is to produce a nail varnish remover
which in this case is the production of ethyl ethanoate. Additionally the aim
of the experiment also includes testing the purity of ethyl ethanoate with the
use of its boiling point as an indicator of purity and compare this to the
published boiling point in order to determine wether ethyl ethanoate has
been produced.
Risk assessment
Before any experiment can initiate the risk assessment of the chemicals
involved and the equipment being utilised such as glassware should be
determined. The hazard is the chemical or equipment that has the potential
to allow the risk to occur. The risk is the harm that can arise due to the
hazard. Ethyl ethanoate which is the product as a result of the reaction in the
experiment is a potential hazard if not handled correctly. The risks
associated include irritation to the skin such as redness and itchiness if this
comes in contact with the skin. Additionally if contact is made with the eyes
the eyes can become red and itchy. To reduce the damage of the risk and
prevent it gloves can be worn on the hands and made sure the arms are
covered as well as the use of safety goggles to act as a barrier between the
eyes and the chemical. Ethyl ethanoate contains properties such as being
very flammable therefore there is a risk of a fire initiating. To prevent this it
should be made sure that it is kept away from fire. Lastly ethyl ethanoate is
toxic when it is inhaled so a face mask could be worn however the likeliness
of this happening is minimal therefore is not required whereas the use of
safety goggles is.
The Sulfuric acid which was used in the experiment is known to be very
corrosive meaning when it comes in contact with bodily tissues such as on
the surface of the skin it casuses damages and burns to there’s areas. If
contact is made with the eyes the eyes will start to burn and could potwn
affect vision. Therefore it is very significant that safety goggles are used to
prevent these causalities.
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