Gargamel
Hazard to Others
Posts: 166
Registered: 9-3-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Drying Nitromethane
Hi guys,
I've got some old nitromethane, supposed to be pure, but the bottle was half full and I suspect this stuff has leached water from the air over time.
How would you dry NM?
Molecular sieve is one possibility.
I have little experience with it. How is it ideally used?
And since it is also expensive, I also thought of CaCl2 and Magnesium sulfate.
It seems like CaCl2 is often contaminated with C(OH)2, which creates explosive nitronates with NM. (I did not yet understand the chemistry behind
it...)
Magnesium sulfate would be another solution.
But how do I use them properly?
Wouldn't the desiccant swallow not only the water but the NM too?
Do desiccant and NM have to be in direct contact, or is it possible to use a common exsiccator or some similar device?
|
|
|
Loptr
International Hazard
Posts: 1348
Registered: 20-5-2014
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
|
|
You can use neutral dessicants, so magnesium sulfate would work. I thinking is normally distilled to purify it, either that, or cooling it below its
melting point and collecting the solid, followed by distillation.
Why do you need it so dry? Is it really than hygroscopic?
|
|
|
franklyn
International Hazard
Posts: 3026
Registered: 30-5-2006
Location: Da Big Apple
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You should know by now - Google is your friend
http://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=dry+nitromethane
|
|
|
morganbw
National Hazard
Posts: 561
Registered: 23-11-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Indeed sir.
|
|
|
Gargamel
Hazard to Others
Posts: 166
Registered: 9-3-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I did some googleling. But they all mention destillation. I cannot destill, I don't have the equipment, and I also don't feel so comfortable about it.
I just wondered if it's possible to dry NM enclosing it together with Magnesium sulfate.
|
|
|
Loptr
International Hazard
Posts: 1348
Registered: 20-5-2014
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by Gargamel  | I did some googleling. But they all mention destillation. I cannot destill, I don't have the equipment, and I also don't feel so comfortable about it.
I just wondered if it's possible to dry NM enclosing it together with Magnesium sulfate. |
Purification of Laboratory Chemicals
https://books.google.com/books?id=XWYqh1an5sQC&lpg=PA190...
As you seen in the screenshot of the above link, you could also use 4A sieves, or other filterable desiccants.
[Edited on 27-4-2015 by Loptr]
|
|
|
Gargamel
Hazard to Others
Posts: 166
Registered: 9-3-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Thank you. I read through that page some times before.
I'll try molecular sieve. I just sought something cheaper, Magnesium sulfate is dirt cheap in comparison.
My NM does not need to be superpure, but water free.
|
|
|
Fantasma4500
International Hazard
Posts: 1680
Registered: 12-12-2012
Location: Dysrope (aka europe)
Member Is Offline
Mood: dangerously practical
|
|
you could also try sodium sulfate, it should be a decently aggressive dessicant.. it could be added to the liquid, whereafter liquid is then decanted
off, or you could just place the dessicant in a plastic box and put the NM in a beaker ontop of the dessicant..
you could also fill whatever dessicant into a metal can and place it next to the cup of NM in a plastic box, or bag etc
the idea with this is that you may wanna use the same dessicant several times, calcium chloride doesnt etch aluminium up much, so you could take the
whole can and heat to dryness, not having to deal with getting the dessicant back out, simply placing the dessicant back in the box
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
