Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Ethanal Boiling Point?

ScienceHideout - 21-11-2012 at 15:59

Just cruising through my CRC handbook and it says the boiling point of Ethanal (acetaldehyde) is approx 20 degrees C, about room temperature.

I was wondering why mine isn't boiling now? Is it 'superheated'? Does it have an odd vapor pressure? It only forms azeotropes with ether.

Thanks in advance!

bbartlog - 21-11-2012 at 17:09

Do you have a thermometer in the acetaldehyde showing a temperature above 20C? There are various liquids with boiling points somewhat below RT that will still not normally boil in an open container, because the cooling by evaporation from the surface allows them to maintain a temperature below the boiling point. Of course they're still *evaporating* at some substantial rate but that doesn't necessarily mean bubbles and agitation...

ScienceHideout - 21-11-2012 at 17:25

Thanks- that is something I haven't considered. I've never seen ethanal stored in a refrigerator- and at the college that I frequently visit, it is always in a storage bottle on the shelf. That room is substantially warmer than 20 degrees.

Thanks, though. I've never thought of that evaporation part ;)

Hexavalent - 22-11-2012 at 07:59

At school, our ethanal is kept in a refrigerator along with other thermally-sensitive materials, such as some of the solvents and the concentrated hydrogen peroxide.