notoxicshit
Harmless
Posts: 37
Registered: 18-4-2016
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Refractometer Range
I'm at the point where I need to buy a refractometer.
At the moment I am seriously tight with money so I can't afford to fuck up investmentwise.
What range of nD do I need for organic chemistry and what type of device should I get?
There are cheap refractometers for all kinds of non-laboratory uses, like measuring battery and car fluids or measuring brewing compound's
concentrations.
They are cheap, but have narrow nD ranges. Often they only show the scale the device is intended for, like % alc and so on.
I could of course make a conversion table easily, if the range would suffice.
So what range do I need?
Please feel free to talk about your refractometer purchases and their pros and cons, what you would do differently if you were to choose again.
Could of course get an old full spectrum (1.3-1.7 nD, isn't it) quality device like an 1960-1980 Carl Zeiss one.
Looking forward for answers. Come out you cheap bastards, wherever you hide!
|
|
|
Metacelsus
International Hazard
Posts: 2539
Registered: 26-12-2012
Location: Boston, MA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Double, double, toil and trouble
|
|
I would expect 1.3 to 1.6 nD should suffice for the great majority of organic compounds (and only a few will be above 1.5)
Here's a table with some examples: http://macro.lsu.edu/HowTo/solvents/Refractive%20Index.htm
|
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2736
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I have an old one fancy lab sitting in my basement, haven't had the time or effort to check it out well, I am happy to consider selling it, but I have
not yet had much time to research it. I think it is either Zeiss or similar old one.
|
|
|
Magpie
lab constructor
Posts: 5939
Registered: 1-11-2003
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Chemistry: the subtle science.
|
|
What do you call cheap for a used Abbe type refractometer?
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
