nannah
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 20-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Stainless steel still conversion?
Hi, guys. I were over at a neighbours garage today, and i saw that he had a little baby still. He said i could have if i wanted to. It is really not a
large one, i guess that it could contain a maximum of maybe 1-2 liters of mash.
Im just curious if you think it could be modified in some way so it makes it possible to steam distill plant parts to make essential oil.
If you dream on even further, maybe you could add some vacuum ports, or some sort of reflux condenser function on there. You understand what i mean.
The still looks like the one in the picture, pretty much. Only much smaller, and its solid. All parts are welded on there, and no hinges or anything.
http://www.milehidistilling.com/product_images/uploaded_imag...
Thanks in advance. /N.
|
|
|
hissingnoise
International Hazard
Posts: 3940
Registered: 26-12-2002
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pulverulescent!
|
|
Yeah, I like that one a lot ─ the still looks nice too!
|
|
|
Fantasma4500
International Hazard
Posts: 1681
Registered: 12-12-2012
Location: Dysrope (aka europe)
Member Is Offline
Mood: dangerously practical
|
|
wow.. consider heating up calcium acetate +300*C in that thing
unlikely to find an such piece of equipment in my country as our beloved government decided that they practically own anything coming near alcohol
destillation and purification
|
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2736
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I would first use it for making some ethanol, both to learn how to use it and best utilize it. And if the model can help you, even better.
Those types of stills are not designed for vacuum use, in general, so that would not likely work well.
And the one in the photo shows the reflux head, the long metal part coming up from the still is one. If yours has a tall piece going up fro the
still, that is already the reflux head. But they are optimized for ethanol. Also, they take a LONG time to heat up and they must be distilled
SLOWLY in order to get any refluxing and good distillation. It might take an hour or more to distill a few 100 ml correctly in a smaller one, or 1L
in a larger one. If you can find the instructions for the still, that will be well work reading them.
|
|
|
nannah
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 20-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Nice one, huh? (Pic).
I am a little unsure about using it for making ethanol for several reasons. First off, i am a little bit scared of igniting the fumes after the
mythbusters moonshine episode. Anyone saw it?
I know that a fume hood would take care of that, but i dont have one. Second, i am not in need of the large amounts that it would produce. I may need
100 ml, tops. So i would use a distillation apparatus for mash purification.
Third, i dont drink alcohol.
I would like to use it for making essential oils, but that requires some adjustments. I wish i could post a picture, but i can't. It has a hole that
(probably) is used for pouring the mash inside. Maybe it could be used as a steam inlet, or to hold an addition funnel? What modifications would you
have done?
And also, (and keep in mind, i am just dreaming now) If you could hook a pump to it and produce a vacuum, and/or adding a second and third port for a
stainless steel reflux condenser, and fraction column. Any ideas?
My neighbour were a welder before he retired, so i think he made it himself. Is it some way i can test it to see if it is made of stainless steel?
Thanks guys.
|
|
|
Fantasma4500
International Hazard
Posts: 1681
Registered: 12-12-2012
Location: Dysrope (aka europe)
Member Is Offline
Mood: dangerously practical
|
|
i recall SS316 is not magnetic
anyhow, you could try sandpapering a little bit off and then dumping it into HCl, it should smell like metal workshop grossly and turn green due to
nickel and chrome chlorides
if you are still not convinced that its SS then you could add NaHCO3 and dump the precipitate into NaClO and boil it until it turns yellow, adding HCl
to acidify it should turn the yellow solution red, forming dichromate -- which is of course very toxic
from there you should be able to at least confirm it contains chrome
|
|
|
nannah
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 20-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
That sounds very hard work, and i dont have that much acid either. Cant i just use a magnet or something?
Thanks to all you guys. I appreciate it.
|
|
|
nannah
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 20-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Im sorry to drag up this old thread again, but i didnt want to start a new.
I forgot to ask about how you guys usually test your vacuum? I have read that you should have a Hg manometer, and thats easy to find right?
Do you use digital manometers, or something else?
This project is on hold, im just curious about it.
Take care!
|
|
|
Lambda-Eyde
National Hazard
Posts: 860
Registered: 20-11-2008
Location: Norway
Member Is Offline
Mood: Cleaved
|
|
If it's non-magnetic and gives sparks with an angle grinder, it's most likely a stainless steel alloy. Telling between SS304 and SS316 (or any other
alloys like SS201, SS321HQ or any of the Duplex alloys, for that matter) is impossible without chemical analysis or XRF. If you want to be sure, call
up a metal recycling plant and ask if they have an XRF analyzer (or "one of those fancy laser guns that tells you what metal you're pointing at"). If
you're lucky they might do an analysis for free.
Quote: Originally posted by nannah  | I forgot to ask about how you guys usually test your vacuum? I have read that you should have a Hg manometer, and thats easy to find right?
Do you use digital manometers, or something else?
|
Just do an eBay search for "vacuum gauge", "vacuum manometer" or similar, and pick one that you like/has the right units etc. No need to mess with
mercury or hideously expensive digital meters.
Edit: Some lower grades of stainless ("China alloys" like 17/7 and 17/9) can be slightly magnetic.
[Edited on 26-9-2014 by Lambda-Eyde]
This just in: 95,5 % of the world population lives outside the USA
Please drop by our IRC channel: #sciencemadness @ irc.efnet.org
|
|
|
aga
Forum Drunkard
Posts: 7030
Registered: 25-3-2014
Member Is Offline
|
|
An old-time method for testing partial vacuum is to have a bleed valve in the vacuum line.
Open the valve a tiny fraction, and the vacuum is 'good enough' it will slightly suck on your finger when you cover the opening.
If not, it's leaking badly somewhere.
|
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2736
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You can buy crude vacuum dial type gauges for very little money, they are fine for aspirator and simple vacuum pumps. For higher vacuums, you would
want an electronic gauge, the sensor costs a bit, but they work with simple analog readouts. See
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Dry-Utility-Vacuum-Pressure-Gauge-...
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRONIC-VACUUM-GAUGE-FOR-REFRIGER...
|
|
|
nannah
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 20-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I searched for a vacuum manometer and i just have to say that the prices are a bit out of my range. I have though about getting one of those vacuum
gauges and do it like dr bob said.
Sorry, i cant seem to figure out what a bleed line is. :/ sorry. Otherwise it was good advice.
Guys, thanks again.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
