I have a can of Prestone premium starting fluid and the ingredients on there are heptane and ethyl ether. What would be the procedure in properly extracting the ether from it?
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--KP

Upside down can, spray out propellant, then drain as if shotgunning a beer.

Then something about mixing with water etc.


Well that'll get ya started.

heating mantle + RB flask hooked into a collection/condensing chamber

fraction distill ether from heptane

profit/rape

???

pretty much this. i would expect the ether to come over first but what the hell do I know?

I'll give you some advice. I've seen these threads come and go, and none reach any conclusion other that that water thing doesn't work. There's always something said about distillation, and theoretically, it would work. But I've never seen any reports of it working. The problem is, there's no way to tell if you've gotten all the heptane/hexane out, and likely, you didn't. Both ether and heptane/hexane are nonpolar, and very much so. Its likely that no matter how low the temp, or how slow you distill, a bunch will distill over w/ the either. You'd need to get some data about the azeotropic concentration of hexane/heptane in ether.

The water thing isn't designed to filter heptane; the warm water heats the ether enough to get it to evaporate.

Are you fucking kidding me? The difference in boiling point between two chemicals is no myth, and is basic high school shit man. It's not fuzzy, or hazy, or vague, it's quite cut and dry. Do you even fucking understand what distillation is? Won't get all the heptane out? Yeah, you sure as fuck do NOT have a single fucking clue what distillation is, what it does and how it works, not like it's that fucking hard to begin with.

Not only that, but I've posted in EVERY SINGLE fucking ether thread on this site for the past few years, and have explained this shit until I am blue in the fucking face. YES I HAVE DONE IT. So have MANY MANY others here. NO water does not work, look up the definition of polar, and nonpolar, check the MSDS for each solvent, and then come back and tell me it's vague, or fuzzy, or confusing.

You people fucking kill me. Use the motherfucking search engine. KP, don't fuck with it man. You do NOT have the proper equipment needed to pull this off safely, and water extraction does exactly jack shit, so if you plan on using a water extraction, you may as well just huff it straight from the can.

But you want technical info on it? Go search the old ether threads. Hell, even making your own ether is simple as fuck and can be done with a quick trip to the liquor store and the hardware store, provided you have the proper equipment.


Do not distill ether without extensive research into what it takes, because I promise you, you WILL blow yourself up otherwise.



Chronic, that post is epically fucking retarded, and you need to learn to use some common sense in life before you end up shooting yourself in the face trying to swat at a fly.

Well if you are ghetto rigging a distillation set up, then yeah, you probably won't do it properly. but with the shit CE was telling you about, you could distill it a few times to make sure that all of the heptane/hexane or whatever is not in your ether. I wouldn't do an ether distillation though, sounds like trouble.

I was just going to ask someone on msn, but since this thread is already here...

What kind of plastics will ether dissolve? I was thinking of heating some water on the stove to around 50c and taking it outside to the distillation setup. I would put the starter fluid in a beer/wine bottle and somehow attach a hose (or pipe if I have to) to the top. Then a condenser with copper coils in a juice bottle full of ice.

Do you think I could pull it off with that equipment? The danger of an explosion is mostly from the heat source right, and if the heat source is preheated water at around 50c (ether boils at 34.6c) there shouldn't be a problem. Right?

Don't quote me on this, but I am 95% confident that any nonpolar solvent will dissolve plastic if given enough time/heat.

I was not aware there was an azeotrope associated heptane/ether solutions.

KP, this isn't one you want to fuck around with.

Don't use open flame!

But you want technical info on it? Go search the old ether threads. Hell, even making your own ether is simple as fuck and can be done with a quick trip to the liquor store and the hardware store, provided you have the proper equipment.


wouldn't that still require distillation? i know its not hard to produce the ether even though the exact procedure doesn't come to mind but if memory serves your still going to have to distill it out.....

wouldn't that still require distillation? i know its not hard to produce the ether even though the exact procedure doesn't come to mind but if memory serves your still going to have to distill it out.....
Yeah, that's what I meant by proper equipment. Here's a good little write up on it:


http://www.frogfot.com/synthesis/dietether.html

I have a can of Prestone premium starting fluid and the ingredients on there are heptane and ethyl ether. What would be the procedure in properly extracting the ether from it?


Step 1, layer the bottom with 2-3mm of water, step two, gas with H2SO4, step 3, shake vigorously...

p.s. don't do this.

The danger of an explosion is mostly from the heat source right...

Sadly, not in this instance. Your average peroxide polymer - formed by a wide array of alkyl oxides in acidic conditions - tends to explosively decouple in response to shock... with a sensitivity usually analagous to "explodes at random."

Sadly, not in this instance. Your average peroxide polymer - formed by a wide array of alkyl oxides in acidic conditions - tends to explosively decouple in response to shock... with a sensitivity usually analagous to "explodes at random."

...

Nevermind then, my life and liberty (and good looks ;)) are worth more than some ether, especially if starter fluid can be used as a solvent without distillation.

...

Nevermind then, my life and liberty (and good looks ;)) are worth more than some ether, especially if starter fluid can be used as a solvent without distillation.

As a solvent for what?

I thought in the states you can go and buy gallon drums of various decent solvents off the shelf...?

Step 1, layer the bottom with 2-3mm of water, step two, gas with H2SO4, step 3, shake vigorously...

p.s. don't do this.


LOL @ the addition of sulfuric acid to catalyze formation of organic peroxides.

Wow, I got burned. Sorry, Noob, I didn't know it'd actually been done. I mean, I know you post in those threads, but I didn't know you'd actually done it. As for that stuff about azeotropes, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. Disregard that. My bad, no offense intended. But, yea, that's awsome. So with a SAFE distillation setup, it can be done. That's really good to know.

-Chronic

Lol. It's all good man.

Or, you could just synth your own:

Ethanol + HBr -> Bromoethane

Ethanol + Na or K -> CH3CH2O

Bromoethane + CH3CH2O -> Diethyl ether

Should work with HCl, to yield chloroethane. The hardest part is getting elemental sodium or potassium, but that shouldn't be that hard to do if you're dedicated. This method is plenty safer than any distillation, as there's no flame.

dude drop the starter fluid and go back to the dope. your brain cells will thank you.

At least it's not xylene. :D And technically huffing ether is perfectly safe with no negative health effects, and NO risk of OD at all, unless you pass out with a gas mask of it hooked to your face or something.

Hmm I was considering this for a while but I think I don't have enough actual lab experience. Sounds better to go the easy route and steal it from adv. ochem lab in a couple quarters.

The hardest part is getting elemental sodium or potassium

...This method is plenty safer than any distillation, as there's no flame.

Ever heard of a hot plate? That completely negates flames for distillation. You can distill ether on a water bath. That means even static is kept down if you use a kettle.

Also good luck finding anhydrous solvents to use with elemental sodium and potassium, and to be honest, ethanal is not the most fun of chemicals to be working with.

I did it a while back with a crock pot , conical flask, 24" lyberg condenser, and plastic interconnects. Flask in water inside the crock pot and ice water around the collection jar. Worked ok, but I still got a bunch of napatha after a few passes.

Would a fractional setup make a big difference?

temperature control is the main thing... they have different temperatures they evaporate at, distill off the lower one...

Yeah, I think the max the crock pot could do was 40 or so, I don't think that was the issue.

It was a lot better then the regular stuff from the can, but left that horrible taste in my mouth.

At least it's not xylene. :D And technically huffing ether is perfectly safe with no negative health effects, and NO risk of OD at all, unless you pass out with a gas mask of it hooked to your face or something.

i realize huffing pure ether is safe. starter fluid is not pure ether however...

i realize huffing pure ether is safe. starter fluid is not pure ether however...

Thats why you distill it out.

Also good luck finding anhydrous solvents to use with elemental sodium and potassium, and to be honest, ethanal is not the most fun of chemicals to be working with.

Sodium in ethanol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUWDyYEce-c)

What's wrong, again? A little H2 isn't going to kill you.

Do not distill ether without extensive research into what it takes, because I promise you, you WILL blow yourself up otherwise.


did you really have to add this bit? :)

and it's simple. ether and hexane have different vapour points.

doesnt anyone of totse read even a basic chem book before posting?

did you really have to add this bit? :)

and it's simple. ether and hexane have different vapour points.

doesnt anyone of totse read even a basic chem book before posting?

You don't know KP man :P

did you really have to add this bit? :)

and it's simple. ether and hexane have different vapour points.

doesnt anyone of totse read even a basic chem book before posting?


Yes, I did, because despite what you think, ether is very fucking dangerous. Between stray fumes, and the formation of peroxides, if you aren't very careful you could very well end up dead.