Distillation under reduced pressure

Many compounds decompose when heated to their boiling points so they cannot be distilled at atmospheric pressure. In this situation it may be possible to avoid thermal decomposition by carrying out the distillation at reduced pressure. The reduction in the boiling point will depend on the eduction in pressure and it can be estimated from a pressure-temperature nomograph (Fig. 11.11). 

A typical vacuum distillation apparatus is shown in Fig. 11.10. The chief difference from the simple distillation apparatus is in the design of the receiver adapter. This must allow several fractions to be collected without needing to break the vacuum. The simplest design is the pig type shown in 

A procedure for carrying out a distillation under reduced pressure is as fillows  

Assemble the (oven-diied) apparatus, putting a little high vacuum grease on the outer edge of each joint. Ensure that the receiver adapter and the collection flasks are secured using clips, and connect the assembly to a vacuum pump. One convenient method of doing this is to connect it to 

Stir the liquid rapidly and carefiilly open the apparatus to the vacuum. Some bumping and frothing may occur as air and volatile components are evacuated. If necessary adjust the pressure to the required value by allowing inert gas into the system via a needle valve. 

---

It is a liquid, b,p. 363 K, but if heated it decomposes and hence must be distilled under reduced pressure decomposition may occur with explosive violence and this can occur even at room temperature if impurities are present. Combustible material, for example paper and wood, ignite spontaneously with explosive violence on contact with the acid, and it can produce painful blisters on the skin,... 

Distillation under Reduced Pressure. Occasionally a liquid, when distillation is attempted under atmospheric pressure, will undergo partial or complete decomposition before its boiling-point is reached. To overcome this difficulty, the liquid is distilled under reduced pressure, so that its boiling-point shall be definitely below its thermal decomposition point. 

It has already been pointed out that a liquid even when subjected to simple atmospheric distillation may become superheated and then bump violently in consequence this danger is greatly increased during distillation under reduced pressure and therefore a specially designed flask, known as a Claisen flask, is used to decrease the risk of superheating. In Fig. i2(a) a Claisen flask D is shown, fitted up as part of one of the simplest types of vacuum-distillation apparatus. ... 

Fractional Distillation under Reduced Pressure. One great disadvantage of the simple vacuum-distillation apparatus shown in Fig. 12(a) is that, if more than one fraction distils, the whole process has to be stopped after collecting each consecutive fraction, in order to change the receiver F. This may be overcome by replacing the simple receiving flask F by a pig (Fig. 13) which collects consecutive... 

It is often advisable to lubricate ground-glass joint surfaces with an extremely thin film of vaseline. This applies particularly to joints employed in assemblies for distillation under reduced pressure. For distillations under greatly reduced pressures or at very high temperatures it is essential to employ a special lubricant, e.g., silicone grease. 

Distillation under reduced pressure. The student should first read details of this operation on a macro-scale (p. 28). For micro-scale work the apparatus shown in Fig. 40 is very convenient. A small pear-... 

Add 15 g, of chloroacetic acid to 300 ml. of aqueous ammonia solution d, o-88o) contained in a 750 ml. conical flask. (The manipulation of the concentrated ammonia should preferably be carried out in a fume-cupboard, and great care taken to avoid ammonia fumes.) Cork the flask loosely and set aside overnight at room temperature. Now concentrate the solution to about 30 ml. by distillation under reduced pressure. For this purpose, place the solution in a suitable distilling-flask with some fragments of unglazed porcelain, fit a capillary tube to the neck of the flask, and connect the flask through a water-condenser and receiver to a water-pump then heat the flask carefully on a water-bath. Make the concentrated solution up to 40 ml. by the addition of water, filter, and then add 250 ml. of methanol. Cool the solution in ice-water, stir well, and set aside for ca. I hour, when the precipitation of the glycine will be complete. 

Bromoform. Commercial bromoform should be shaken thoroughly with water, separated, dried over powdered anhydrous sodium sulphate and then fractionally distilled under reduced pressure using a water-condenser. It should be stored in a dark cupboard. It is an excellent solvent, has the advantage of a high Constant, and very seldom causes association of the solute. 

The dotted line in Fig. 11,17, 2 refers to the modification of the apparatus for use in fractional distillation under reduced pressure a Perkin triangle or equivalent receiver device ( vacuum distilling adapter ) is generally employed for collection of the various fractions. 

Formamide. Commercial formamide may contain excess of formic acid. It is purified by passing ammonia gas into the mixture until a slight alkaline reaction is obtained. The ammonium formate thus formed is precipitated by the addition of acetone the filtrate, after drying over anhydrous magnesium sulphate, is distilled under reduced pressure. Pure formamide has b.p. IO571I mm. 

Wider passages are provided for vapours and the comparatively narrow tubes, which are usually fitted through holes bored in cork or rubber stoppers, are absent this considerably diminishes danger in violent reactions and also tends to give better results in distillation under reduced pressure as well as diminishing the hazard of choking. ... 

Receiver adapters or connectors. Various forms of receiver adapters are shown in Figs. 11, 56, 26-29. The simplest form. Fig. 11, 56, 26, carries a glass hook for securing it to the condenser by means of a rubber band from the side tube to the hook an improved form, incorporating two ground glass joints is shown in Fig. 11, 56, 27. A useful adapter is illustrated in Fig. 11, 56, 28 when employed at atmospheric pressure, a drying tube may be attached to the side tube, if desired in a distillation under reduced pressure, the side tube is connected to the pump. Fig. 11, 56, 29 depicts a receiver adapter with an additional socket connection. 

Lubrication of all ground glass surfaces is essential for distillations under reduced pressure. Suitable lubricants are Apiezon grease L, M or N and Silicone stopcock grease also Alkathene (a polyethylene plastic), which is especially suitable for high temperatures. 

A set-up for distillation under reduced pressure is shown in Fig. 11,60,3 it is generally more convenient to use a Kon receiver or a Perkin triangle (Fig. 11, 56, 31). The vessel at the side, connected to the assembly by rubber pressure tubing, may be immersed in a Dry Ice-acetone bath and serves as a trap for volatile materials. 

With higher aliphatic acids, RCOOH, keten yields first a mixed anhydride CH3COOCOR, which can be distilled under reduced pressure by slow distillation at atmospheric pressure the mixed anhydride undergoes rearrangement into the anhydride of the higher fatty acid and acetic acid, for example ... 

Place 100 g. of adipic acid in a 750 ml. round-bottomed flask and add successively 100 g. (127 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 250 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 40 g. (22 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid (the last-named cautiously and with gentle swirling of the contents of the flask). Attach a reflux condenser and reflux the mixture gently for 5-6 hours. Pour the reaction mixture into excess of water (2-3 volumes), separate the benzene layer (1), wash it with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution until eflfervescence ceases, then with water, and dry with anhydrous magnesium or calcium sulphate. Remove most of the benzene by distillation under normal pressure until the temperature rises to 100° using the apparatus of Fig. II, 13, 4 but substituting a 250 ml. Claisen flask for the distilling flask then distil under reduced pressure and collect the ethyl adipate at 134-135°/17 mm. The yield is 130 g. 

When the volume of liquid in the flask is small, it is advisable to arrange the apparatus for distillation under reduced pressure (water pump) in order to completely separate the allyl cyanide from the solid residue. The final tarry residue may be removed by treatment with concentrated nitric acid, followed by water. 

Dissolve 57 g. of dry malonic acid in 92 5 ml. of dry P3rridine contained in a 500 ml. round-bottomed flask, cool the solution in ice, and add 57 g. (70 ml.) of freshly distilled n-heptaldehyde (oenanthol) with stirring or vigorous shaking. After a part of the aldehyde has been added, the mixture rapidly seta to a mass of crystals. Insert a cotton wool (or calcium chloride) tube into the mouth of the flask and allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 60 hours with frequent shaking. Finally, warm the mixture on a water bath until the evolution of carbon dioxide ceases (about 8 hours) and then pour into an equal volume of water. Separate the oily layer and shake it with 150 ml. of 25 per cent hydrochloric acid to remove pyridine. Dissolve the product in benzene, wash with water, dry with anhydrous magnesium sulphate, and distil under reduced pressure. Collect the ap-nonenoic acid at 130-13272 mm. The yield is 62 g. 

Di-n-hexyl sulphide. Use 83 g. (71 ml.) of n-hexyl bromide (Section III.37), 56 g. of finely-powdered, anhydrous sodium sulphide and 100 ml. of rectified spirit. Reflux on a water bath for 20 hours. Distil ofiF the alcohol from a water bath very Uttle sulphide is obtained upon adding excess of water to the distiUate. Add excess of water to the residue in the flask and separate the upper layer of crude n-hexyl sulphide. Purify as for n-propyl sulphide, but distil under reduced pressure. CoUectthe n-hexyl sulphide at 113-114°/4 mm. The yield is 45 g. 

Pour the resulting dark reddish-brown liquid into 500 ml. of water to which 17 ml. of saturated sodium bisulphite solution has been added (the latter to remove the excess of bromine). Steam distil the resulting mixture (Fig. II, 41,1) , collect the first portion of the distillate, which contains a little unchanged nitrobenzene, separately. Collect about 4 litres of distillate. Filter the yellow crystalline solid at the pump, and press well to remove the adhering liquid. The resulting crude m-bromonitrobenzene, m.p. 51-52°, weighs 110 g. If required pure, distil under reduced pressure (Fig. II, 19, 1) and collect the fraction of b.p. 117-118°/9 mm. it then melts at 56° and the recovery is about 85 per cent. 

Boil a mixture of 10 g. (10 ml.) of o-toluidine and 38 g. (35 ml.) of acetic anhydride in a 75 or 100 ml. Claisen flask fitted with a reflux condenser (Fig. Ill, 28, 1, but with trap replaced by a calcium chloride or cotton wool guard tube) for 1 hour. Arrange the flask for distillation under reduced pressure (compare Fig. II, 20, 1) and distil acetic acid and the excess of acetic anhydride pass over first, followed by the diacetyl derivative at 152-153°/20 mm, some mono-acetyl-o-toluidine (1-2 g.) remains in the flask. The yield of diacetyl-o-toluidine is 14-15 g, it is a colourless, somewhat unstable hquid, which slowly sohdifies to yield crystals, m.p. 18°, To prepare the (mono-) acetyl-o-toluidine, warm a mixture of 5 g. 

The iodobenzene is conveniently distilled under reduced pressure and the fraction b.p. 77- 80°/20 mm. or 63-64°/8 mm. collected. The product has a higher degree of purity than that obtained directly from benzene (Section IV,21). 

If pure 3-bromo-4-aminotoluene is required, the crude base may be purified either by steam distillation or, more satisfactorily, by distillation under reduced pressure. The oil is dried with 5 g. of sodium hydroxide pellets, and distilled under reduced pressure from a Claisen fiask with a fractionating side arm a little p-tolui-dine may be present in the low boiling point fraction, and the pure substance is collected at 92-94°/3 inin. or at 120-122°/30 mm. The purified amine solidifies on cooling and melts at 17-18°. 

I) If the diethyl sulphate is dark in colour, it should be washed in the fume cupboard with ice water, then with sodium bicarbonate solution until all free acid is removed, and distilled under reduced pressure. 

Heat a suspension of 22 g. of the diacetate in a mixture of 120 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid, 190 ml. of water and 35 ml. of alcohol under reflux for 45 minutes. Cool the mixture to 0°, filter the solid with suction, and wash with water. Purify the crude aldehyde by rapid steam distillation (Fig. II, 41, 3) collect about 1500 ml. of distillate during 15 minutes, cool, filter, and dry in a vacuum desiccator over calcium chloride. The yield of pure o-nitrobenzaldehyde, m.p. 44—45°, is 10 g. The crude solid may also be purified after drying either by distillation under reduced pressure (the distillate of rather wide b.p., e.g., 120-144°/3-6 mm., is quite pure) or by dissolution in toluene (2-2-5 ml. per gram) and precipitation with light petroleum, b.p. 40°-60° (7 ml. per ml. of solution). 

This product is sufficiently pure for the preparation of phenylacetic acid and its ethyl ester, but it contains some benzyl tso-cyanide and usually develops an appreciable colour on standing. The following procedure removes the iso-cyanide and gives a stable water-white compound. Shake the once-distilled benzyl cyanide vigorously for 5 minutes with an equal volume of warm (60°) 60 per cent, sulphuric acid (prepared by adding 55 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid to 100 ml. of water). Separate the benzyl cyanide, wash it with an equal volume of sa+urated sodium bicarbonate solution and then with an equal volume of half-saturated sodium chloride solution- Dry with anhydrous magnesium sulphate and distil under reduced pressure. The loss in washing is very small (compare n-Butyl Cyanide, Section 111,113, in which concentrated hydrochloric acid is employed). 

Another method of purihcation consists in distillation under reduced pressure. The fraction of b.p. I40-I50°/20 mm. is collected separately, - it solidihes on standing, melts at 76-76-5°, and is practically pure-... 

---