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Author: Subject: Easily available solvents (polar & non polar). BP less than 70 C
khourygeo77
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 01:56
Easily available solvents (polar & non polar). BP less than 70 C


Any idea which solvents I can find, generally easily obtainable without having to find them in chemical stores, as they sell stuff not cheaply at all in here.

Boiling point I'm looking for is in the beginning of the 70s deg C until 30s deg C.

I could find 1 only: acetone.

It's fairly difficult to find such solvents here in hardware stores or markets or pharmacies. I have a distillation apparatus so if these solvents can be found mixed with impurities, I can separate the 2

I tried looking for petroleum, light naphtha, coleman fuel as a source for hexane. Couldnt find any... Was forced to buy from a chemical store: 200ml for like 20$


Any idea?
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Sulaiman
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 04:00


Most of the common solvents will boil in the 30 to 70 oC range ... under vacuum.

Just a water aspirator can reduce the b.p.significantly, e.g. it can reduce the b.p. of water to 20 oC or less.

I use one of these (mostly for vacuum filtration) ...with it water boils well below 70 oC http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Multi-Function-DC-12V-Micro-Piston...

Here is a video that may help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYLlkTDstmo




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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 05:41


DCM 40C, easily distilled from paint stripper. Check SDS for the brands you find.

Methanol 65C, HEET antifreeze (the yellow one, not the red one) or sometimes found more cheaply as windshield washer fluid, but that may need distillation. May also be obtainable from the same paint stripper as DCM.

Diethyl ether 35C, easily distilled from starting fluid which can be purchased at auto stores or places like Walmart. There are many videos of this.

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XeonTheMGPony
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 09:23


n - Hexane is used in electrical contact cleaner. Slow care full distillation of gas will give petroleum ether.

As others have said DCM can be removed from paint stripper, I recommend using the can it comes in as the distillation vessel as the other stuff they add is very goopy.

Acetone free nail polish remover is mostly Ethyle acetate.

Too many options to name really, pick a product and research, rinse and repeat you'll have more solvents then you know what to do with.
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 09:29


I can buy almost pure methanol in home depot, it's sold very cheap as a stripper with a BP of 65.
Although it's a bit over your requirements, MEK (Butanone) has a BP just under 80, and can be bought at some industrial stores.

The DCM route is a fast, fun, and easy distillation to do, but it usually ends up forming an azeotrope with any methanol in the stripper. This can be removed by washing with water, and separating out the layers if you need methanol free DCM. (Home depot also sells a varnish stripper with about 70% DCM in it, this is the route I go to get mine.

Though it is obviously not economical, the drugstore DOES have solvents. I have found ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol, in a drug store, although it's BP is 8 degrees above your requirements. Be careful not to get it confused with Propanol, sold as isopropyl alchohol, because it has a BP of basically a hundred.

Hexane (68) can be distilled from the same source that diethy ether (35) can be; cold engine starters, and I once saw tetrahydrofuran (65) in a specialty industrial store.

These are just the solvents I remembered having BP's around what you asked. I didn't do any research, aside from googling the BP on some of them. Even if you didn't know, why not just google "Common solvents in chemistry" and then find the ones that match your BP requirement?
Search engines are useful and there for a reason, and you will probably find something that we don't know/remember.
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 12:37


Methanol is common as windshield wiper fluid; diethyl ether is common in starter fluid. Acetonitrile bp 82 C can be made from ammonium diacetate. Chloroform can be made by the oxidation of ethanol, isopropanol, or acetone with hypochlorite bleach.

I think one of those will work for you. Or DCM/EtOAc as mentioned above.
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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 17:40


If you want to make chloroform, a cheap source of chlorine is Ca(ClO)2 (Calcium hypochlorite). It comes in solid form. Usually between 60 to 75% pure. Most hardware stores will have them and also department stores in the pool stuff section.



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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 18:21


Quote: Originally posted by Vosoryx  
Be careful not to get it confused with Propanol, sold as isopropyl alchohol, because it has a BP of basically a hundred.

The boiling point of isopropanol is 80oC.




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[*] posted on 23-9-2017 at 18:21


Acetone and bleach. That's how I always do it... nice and simple. NileRed did a video on that method, it was the first video of his I ever saw. There are obviously other ways of making chloroform, but that's the easiest in my opinion.
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 08:25


Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman  
Most of the common solvents will boil in the 30 to 70 oC range ... under vacuum.

Just a water aspirator can reduce the b.p.significantly, e.g. it can reduce the b.p. of water to 20 oC or less.

I use one of these (mostly for vacuum filtration) ...with it water boils well below 70 oC http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Multi-Function-DC-12V-Micro-Piston...

Here is a video that may help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYLlkTDstmo


I want solvents for the purpose of dissolving and fraction distilling. So I'm not sure if it will make a difference in vacuum as both of the substances will distill at a similar temperature
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khourygeo77
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 08:36


It's not easy to find these products here

Concerning the DCM, I have tried to search for it as a paint stripper and was met with surprise everytime at hardware stores. They only sell heavy naphtha & thinner. I hope the case will be different when searching for other solvents. Actually the hardware stores I visit think I'm a creep due to my impossible requirements everytime lol

As for the methanol found as antifreeze & diethyl ether at auto stores as a starting fluid & hexane as electric cleaner & hexane at cold engine starter & methanol as in windshield wiper, I will try to research & search for asap

I can google possibly available & distillable solvents, however I dont find the same products in my country. I tried several times to use google but not efficacious

I will try to make chloroform later on and try to find out if the products here contain these substances.

thanks for your help

edit: It seems most solvents are found at auto stores. So I guess if I go there and scan the products, I may find these things & more, right?

[Edited on 24-9-2017 by khourygeo77]

[Edited on 24-9-2017 by khourygeo77]
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Vosoryx
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 08:42


Don't ask them directly for DCM... they're not going to know. Just ask for their varnish or paint strippers, and read the labels yourself.

Tip: Dichloromethane is sometimes called Methylene Chloride.
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khourygeo77
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 08:54


Quote: Originally posted by Vosoryx  
Don't ask them directly for DCM... they're not going to know. Just ask for their varnish or paint strippers, and read the labels yourself.

Tip: Dichloromethane is sometimes called Methylene Chloride.


I have used paint strippers many times. I have only heard about the heavy naphta & thinner types, so did the people of the hardware store and many workers. I used to ask the hardware stores for types of paint strippers, they would reply with "thinner" and "naphtha". They say that's the only 2 they have...

Maybe I should check for a large hardware store that may contain many different things than the ones commonly found at the common stores or
a store specialized at selling paint stuff...

[Edited on 24-9-2017 by khourygeo77]
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 09:11


I'm an amateur on a tiny chemistry budget so i usually use stuff like methanol (HEET for like $2 or $3), ethanol and isopropanol (which you can make ethyl acetate from), I make a bit of chloroform if I need it as some have said already, diethyl ether, Heptane, and other stuff from starter fluids, and my dad works with furniture so I can easily get stuff like toluene, DCM, and Naphtha from paint strippers. As NurdRage has shown, you can also easily get ethylene glycol and dioxane from stuff like antifreeze but I don't like using them unless necessary at home because of the toxicity
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 09:16


I don't know where you are in the world, but home depot, which is a franchise across U.S. and Canada (and probably other countries, too.) Owns a brand of stripper that does contain DCM.
And even if your local store doesn't have it, they can order it in from other stores, being an international franchise.
DCM is a very common chemical. Go to paint stores, hardware stores, even boating stores might carry something with it. Read the labels on all of the strippers, and in a last resort ask them to order it.
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 10:32


It rather depends where you are.
DCM is increasingly hard to find in the EU because someone noticed that it's carcinogenic (as well as rather toxic) and banned it.

I suspect that the OP lives somewhere in the world where the job of stripping paint is done with a blowtorch or steel wool.
95% or so of the world's population does not live in the USA.

Chloroform from acetone and bleach is probably the best option.
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Vosoryx
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 11:19


If you somehow can't find DCM, i'd second the chloroform idea.

I had no idea DCM was banned in the EU... Very interesting.

as unionised pointed out, the availability of chemicals absolutely depends on your country. Perhaps there is someone here from your country who could tell you where they get chemicals.
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 11:27


There is nobody in the same country for sure.

I'll surely give chloroform a try.

I hope I can find hexane & methanol.. I'll start listing the auto stores available in the area

Shit here is very expensive. 1L of acetone may cost like 70+$ from a chemical store. I can distill that much from nailpolish for 5$
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[*] posted on 24-9-2017 at 12:22


That is very expensive. It's unfortunate you can't find it at an industrial store that carries it, Acetone's even cheaper there.

Make sure the nail polish remover you buy actually contains acetone... Many nowadays do not. You don't need a lot of acetone to make chloroform, it should end up being your limiting reagent anyway.

If you're going to make chloroform, I recommend watching NileRed's video on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-PrAczOGb0

Good luck!
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[*] posted on 25-9-2017 at 19:11


Butane can be used as a non-polar solvent as it has a BP of 0C. It can be purchased a lighter fuel refills and used for extraction or reflux. Its best to cool the container/condenser with a mixture of dry ice and alcohol.



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