Vikascoder
Hazard to Others
Posts: 309
Registered: 28-1-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Checks for ethanol isopropyl alcohol and acetic acid
I have buyed many solvents and their names slip got mixed up now how can i know which one is ethanol , isopropyl alcohol and acetic acid and none of
them dissolve styrofoam
|
|
|
Nicodem
Super Moderator
Posts: 4230
Registered: 28-12-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Ever heard about something called physical properties, such as boiling points?
|
|
|
Nicodem
|
Thread Moved
29-1-2012 at 01:38 |
weiming1998
National Hazard
Posts: 616
Registered: 13-1-2012
Location: Western Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Amphoteric
|
|
First place a strip of zinc/magnesium in all 3. The one with the fizzing strip is acetic acid
Then mix the other two in two different cups of water and add salt to both. The one that forms two separate layers is isopropyl. The one that doesn't
form two separated layers is ethanol.
|
|
|
Vikascoder
Hazard to Others
Posts: 309
Registered: 28-1-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Strips
I have to place both the strips or any one out of zinc or magnesium i have zinc but not magnesium
|
|
|
Vikascoder
Hazard to Others
Posts: 309
Registered: 28-1-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Strips
I have to place both the strips or any one out of zinc or magnesium i have zinc but not magnesium also i forgot to mention there is methanol also
what is the check for methanol
|
|
|
weiming1998
National Hazard
Posts: 616
Registered: 13-1-2012
Location: Western Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Amphoteric
|
|
Just zinc should suffice. You don't even need to use zinc, just the smell of it would tell you which is acetic acid. Glacial acetic acid has a VERY
strong smell of vinegar. Also, to tell methanol apart from ethanol, use copper sulfate. Or get a thermometer and boil it. If the thermometer says
60-70 degrees when the substance is boiling, then it's methanol. if 70-80 degrees, then it's ethanol. But I wouldn't try boiling unless you have got a
good fume hood because methanol is toxic, and fumes like that could poison/blind you.
|
|
|
Vikascoder
Hazard to Others
Posts: 309
Registered: 28-1-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Copper sulfate is insoluble in methanol or it is insoluble in ethanol
|
|
|
weiming1998
National Hazard
Posts: 616
Registered: 13-1-2012
Location: Western Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Amphoteric
|
|
Copper sulfate pentahydrate is insoluble in ethanol, but soluble in methanol. Make sure it is NOT anhydrous copper sulfate, which is white, but the
pentahydrate, which is blue.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
