Unit 4 Aim C: Laboratory techniques and their application
Vocational Scenario
You are a lab technician working in the research and development department of a
pharmaceutical company. One of the products made by the company is aspirin. You are
investigating how to produce and test the purity of aspirin so that the company can make it
efficiently. You will produce a sample of aspirin and test its purity. You will have to compare
your laboratory technique with the industrial process used by the pharmaceutical company
to manufacture aspirin on a large scale.
Aim
The aim of this practical will be to explore manufacturing techniques and testing methods
for an organic liquid.
Introduction
Aspirin:
Molecular formula: C9H8O4
Melting point-135 °C
Boiling point- 140 °C
Density- 1.4 g/cm³
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a pharmaceutical drug used to reduce pain1,2 or
inflammation.3 It is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
Aspirin which is also known as acetylsalicylic acid is a drug that is a very effective painkiller
in reducing
Aspirin which can also be known as acetylsalicylic acid is a drug commonly used in drug and
assists in being able to manage pain as well as inflammation and classified as a non-
steroidal anti inflammatory drug.
Aspirin can be used to treat:
mild to moderate pain
fever
swollen, red and tender body tissues
rheumatoid arthritis
rheumatic fever.4
Furthermore aspirin can be used for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and bowel cancer
prevention. Although, some studies has researched and found that aspirin can reduce the
likelihood of heart attacks and bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancer, experts still advise
that clinicians still are cautious when using aspirin for the purposes as prevention. This is
because it can increase the risk of bleeding and may cause some damage to the stomach.
Therefore, it is advised that, people who are suffering from kidney disease, liver damage or
haemophilia should firstly consult a doctor before using aspirin.
, Aspirin is known as acetylsalicylic acid which was introduced to the pharmaceutical industry
in 1899 where aspirin was helping treat rheumatic fever and gout. From this moment, aspirin
can be seen used very commonly and a great option for the treating of fever and some pain.
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is a popular pain reliever that can
assist with fevers and headaches. Salicylic acid is a reactant involved in the
production of aspirin by reacting with excess acetic anhydride, as well as a
catalyst, phosphoric acid, which will assist speed up reactions by lowering the
activation energy, which is the least amount of energy particles require to react.
When the reaction occurs, we receive acetic acid and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) as
products. Acetic acid is a water-soluble material, which will aid in the separation of the acetic
acid from the acetylsalicylic acid.
The use of a low-dose aspirin on a regular basis may help to minimise the risk of heart
attacks. This is due to the fact that aspirin stops platelets from clumping together inside
blood vessels. Although platelet clumping is necessary for wound healing, excessively large
clots can clog blood vessels and impede blood flow, resulting in a heart attack. People with
atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up in the arteries, have an increased risk of blood clots.
Principles applied to the practical
Crystallisation- This would be based on the finite solubility that is within a solvent
at a given temperature as well as other factors such as pressure. Crystallisation
will further involve previously dissolved substances are dealt with in a controlled
way.
Recrystallisation- This involves the purification of a chemical and would mean
dissolving the chemical as well as the impurity that is present in a solvent and
then reheating the solution present. This recrystallization process occurs on the
basis that the amount of solute that can be dissolved by a solvent rises with
temperature.
Precipitation- This involves a chemical process that will produce some solid
particles that are small in size, which could also be known as precipitate from
states of a gas or liquid. This precipitation that we are referring to is linked to the
antigen-antibody response principle.
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