OCTOBER, 1949
AUTOMATIC TRAP FOR LABORATORY STEAM DISTILLATION
1. E. NICKELS Koppers Company, Inc., Multiple Fellowship on Tar Synthetios, Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SIDE VIEW
Automatio St-
FRONT VIEW Trap
TRERE are several disadvantages in taking steam directly from a steam lme for use in laboratory steam distillations. The steam usually contains water and oil; the steam valve has a tendency to "creep" shut, thereby causing a suck-back; finally, it is dangerous to use steam under pressure in glass equipment because the condenser may plug with solid distillate. A simple, automatic safety trap was designed which avoids these difficulties. When this trap is connected between the steam source and the distillation flask the liquid and solid contaminants of the steam are removed; the possibility of suck-hack when the steam is turned off is eliminated because air enters the trap through the water seal; the water seal in the trap also serves as an overflow for excess condensate as well as a pressure regulator, preventing the development of pressure in the distillation apparatus. For most laboratory distillations a 12-inch water seal has been found satisfactory. This dimension, however, may be increased as desired if the steam is to be forced against a high hydraulic head as in large steam distillation equipment, or when the viscosity of the material being distilled or the rate of distillation demands a higher steam pressure.
