Pre-Lab Questions for Integrated Alkene-Distillation Lab – Part 1
- In this lab you will separate a mixture of organic liquids by one of two methods:
simple or fractional distillation. Your partner group will do the alternate method. In
theory, which method should give the better separation? Briefly explain why.
- A mixture of 10 mL of isoamyl acetate (MW=130.2 g/mol and density=0.88 g/mL)
and 15 mL of methyl benzoate (MW=136.2 g/mol and density=1.09 g/mL) is
distilled. Calculate the mole percent for each component.
- Use the mole %’s from question 2 and the figure below to answer the following
questions.
- What is the initial boiling point of this liquid mixture?
- What is the composition of the vapor in equilibrium with the initial liquid?
- What is the composition of the initial condensate (the condensate which
forms from condensation of the vapor in equilibrium with the initial liquid)?
- The distillation curves, one simple and one fractional, from a mixture of liquids is shown below.
- a) Which curve, solid or dashed line, is the simple distillation? Which is fractional? How could you
distinguish between them?
- b) The possible liquids being distilled are in the table below. What are the actual identities of the two
liquids?
Liquid Boiling point (degrees C)
2-methyl propane 27.8
butane 30.2
pentane 36.1
hexane 69
cyclohexane 80.8