Unit 4
B: Explore the manufacturing techniques
and testing methods for an organic liquid
Ajmal Shekeb Noormal
, SCENARIO
I work as a lab technician in a cosmetics company's research and development
department. Nail polish remover is one of the company's offerings. Ethyl ethanoate
is present in the nail polish remover. I am looking into how to produce ethyl
ethanoate and how to evaluate its purity so that the company can generate it
efficiently. I will make an ethyl ethanoate sample and test its purity. I will have to
compare my laboratory method to the cosmetics company's industrial procedure
for mass-producing ethyl ethanoate.
Introduction:
To make ethyl ethanoate (ester) organic liquid, I will use reflux and distillation.
Organic liquids can be found in a wide range of industrial settings. They are liquids
made up of one or more carbon atoms bound together by covalent bonds with
other atoms. Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and halogens are common
atoms found in organic compounds. 1 Distillation is the process of separating
components based on their different boiling points. 2 The return of a process fluid
after it has been cooled, condensed, heated, or boiled is known as reflux. In
industries that use large-scale distillation columns and fractionators, such as
petroleum refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, and natural gas
processing plants, the term reflux is commonly used.3
Industrial Methods
Ethyl acetate is synthesized in industry mainly via the classic Fischer esterification
reaction of ethanol and acetic acid. Silicotungstic acid is used to manufacture
ethyl acetate by the alkylation of acetic acid by ethylene:
C2H4 + CH3CO2H → CH3CO2C2H+2H2
Chemical purity testing is a difficult undertaking that necessitates the use of a
variety of styles and approaches to provide clear information on a chemical's
makeup. Understanding the specific components of a chemical and its physical or
chemical properties is the most essential activity in assessing chemical purity. The
following are some of the methods used by chemical manufacturers to determine
the purity of their product:4
Another extensively used approach for assessing the purity of a chemical substance
is the colorimetric method. When certain chemical compounds are exposed to a
specific chemical, they change colour biochemically. This method is well-known,
well-documented, and commonly used to determine the purity of various items.
One of the most common uses of the colorimetric approach is to detect the
presence of illegal narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. Colorimetric purity testing
is favoured since it not only determines the chemical's purity but also its
percentage purity.4
Analytical testing is the most accurate and recommended way of verifying
chemical purity, despite the fact that other methods are extremely appropriate
and advanced. Analytical testing is a common process for analysing a variety of
compounds. These processes are used in the pharmaceutical and chemical