Sciencemadness Discussion Board

How to process very small volumes?

Fyndium - 28-9-2020 at 01:04

If you want to test or determine reaction or property, eg solubility, how can you process very small volumes, in order of few mL max so procedual losses are minimized? I have used centrifuge and test vials, pipettes but filtering and transferring can easily result in smearing the whole volume on the surface of a glass.

brubei - 28-9-2020 at 01:28

glass pipette or syringe filled with cotton is a easy way to filter/transfert small quantity

Fyndium - 28-9-2020 at 04:14

That is a good tip.

TheMrbunGee - 28-9-2020 at 05:09

There are also these, for even less loses and sophisticated filtering.

macckone - 28-9-2020 at 19:41

Fyndium,

Read up on micro-scale chemistry.
It has a lot of caveats and uses a lot of 1ml syringes and conical flasks and very tiny distillation equipment.
https://www.chemistry.mcmaster.ca/~chem2o6/labmanual/microsc...

Fyndium - 29-9-2020 at 00:46

Thanks for the input. I had totally forgotten the syringe filters.

I've looked up for micro distillation kits, but they usually command a significant price compared to ordinary setups, even in an order of magnitude higher.

ChemichaelRXN - 29-9-2020 at 02:34

You can also get some B10 size glassware.

http://www.crscientific.com/glassware-assortment-B10.html

I inherited some of this, but I need a few more pieces to complete my set. I really like collecting all sorts of glassware.

ChemichaelRXN - 29-9-2020 at 02:36

Sorry, seems out of stock! rare stuff it seems

Tsjerk - 29-9-2020 at 08:14

Can't you filter in something that fits in the centrifuge?

macckone - 29-9-2020 at 08:18

b10 is 10/18 or 10/13
14/23 or 14/20 is much more common.
https://www.carolina.com/lab-condensers/organic-chemistry-fr...

There are some nice 14/10 microscale kits available as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Kontes-Organic-Chemistry-Microscale-K...
$403.43 - that is not unreasonable.


Tsjerk - 29-9-2020 at 08:33

A filter squeezed in an Eppendorf sounds a bit more reasonable than $400

macckone - 29-9-2020 at 13:06

Tsjerk,
You can't distill in a filter efficiently.
I was going to say you couldn't but I have seen a buchner funnel used as a bong so there is that.

draculic acid69 - 9-10-2020 at 08:23

Quote: Originally posted by Fyndium  
Thanks for the input. I had totally forgotten the syringe filters.

I've looked up for micro distillation kits, but they usually command a significant price compared to ordinary setups, even in an order of magnitude higher.


A crude micro (well mini) distillation setup can be made from a test tube
And some straight tubing if U use some imagination. Think of a 5ml test tube
with a bubble blown in the bottom and a pipette coming out the side about
a half of the way up above the bubble.instant 2ml miicro retort for cheap.
I've tried finding these sorts of thiings but these mini or micro kits are rare
But i think easily made if U can do without the the gg joints

Herr Haber - 13-10-2020 at 20:12

This nice little suitcase full of 10/19 Pyrex glassware was given to me by a friend with benefits.
I havent used it since but it is complete with vacuum adapter.

When I get into smelly compounds I'll probably use it a lot more :)



IMG_3294.JPG - 101kB

draculic acid69 - 27-1-2021 at 01:32

Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
Tsjerk,
You can't distill in a filter efficiently.
I was going to say you couldn't but I have seen a buchner funnel used as a bong so there is that.


Interesting.

macckone - 27-1-2021 at 02:57

draculic,
If you live where drugs are decriminalized or legalized you see a lot of interesting things.

Fantasma4500 - 28-1-2021 at 02:40

dilute it if you can
if thats impossible you can get autopipettes, theyre pricey but offer great precision plus you can get filter tips of them

draculic acid69 - 28-1-2021 at 20:40

Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
draculic,
If you live where drugs are decriminalized or legalized you see a lot of interesting things.


Quite stupidly my countries government chooses to keep its head buried in the sand on most drug related issues apart from last year making hemp seeds and protein finally
legal to use as food and then legalisation of cannabis in one state only which made news for a few days and hasn't been mentioned since.