Preparation of Ethanol and Ethanoic Acid

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Preparation of Ethanol and Ethanoic Acid

Introduction to report

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This report contains 5 practical experiments to produce ethanoic acid

from ethanol. The first practical is the preparation of ethanol from

glucose using yeast during the process of fermentation; this has been

demonstrated in class. In this practical the glucose is converted into

ethanol and carbon dioxide by respiratory enzymes from the yeast. The

ethanol solution will be between 5-15% and the ethanol will be

separated from the yeast by filtering. Then the ethanol will be

divided.

In the second experiment we are going to distillate ethanol solution,

which involve measuring both the volume and the mass of the ethanol

solution, we can work out the density from the volume and mass. We

will then compare the density of the solution with that of pure water

and pure ethanol; it is possible to calculate the percentage

concentration of the solution.

The third practical will be oxidising ethanol to ethanoic acid, in

this experiment we will start with 96% ethanol. We can achieve a

successful oxidation by boiling gently under reflux with acidified

sodium dichromate.

The fourth practical is to distillate ethanoic acid solution; this is

the continuation of the third practical and involves distilling the

mixture to obtain a reasonably pure sample of ethanoic acid.

The final practical is the filtration of ethanoic acid solution; this

involves determining the actual % yield of ethanoic acid by titration

against 0.05 M sodium hydroxide.

Practical one Equation

yeast will carry out anaerobic respiration, using the glucose to

enable it to grow and multiply. The equation above shows what the

yeast will accomplish inside the bioreactor.

This equation also shows fermentation process, which proves an

anaerobic respiration, which means that oxygen is absent from the

process. Anaerobic respiration takes place in organisms and releases a

small amount of energy very quickly. In most organisms, it consists of

a chain of chemical reactions called glycolysis, which break down

glucose into pyrutic acid.

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