WOOD DISTILLATION MODEL A High-School Projecf
WILLIAM B. SANFORD Savona Central School, Savona, New York
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HIS project was worked out by a group of high-
school seniors. First of all, the students found i t necessary to do some research in the library. The second step was the planning of the apparatus. The furnace was constructed of brick and ground asbestos, and was 15" long, 141/n"wide, and 161/4"high. I t was covered with an arched metal roof. The metal was covered with a thick layer of asbestos and plaster. The furnace is fired through holes in a brick on the front. This brick was supported on crucibles to provide a draft. It was necessary to !ire the furnace with a plumber's blow torch. because our school does not hake gas. The flame was directed u ~ w a r dbv - uassine. . it into a 1" elbow. The retorts weie made of water pipes 18" by 2'/e". The students used a lathe to turn down the ends of the pipes and the caps so that they would fit tightly. Two pipes, connected at a T, led to the condenser.
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The condenser was a ten-gallon can fitted with a water inlet and outlet. The coil was constructed of 25' of copper tubing of the type used for automobile
STL~ENT DRAwINo SHOlvnuo ENDVIEW AND CROSS-SECTIONAL SIDEVIEWOF FURNACE 45
placed in a distilling flask gasolme lines. A bell jar and the wood alcohol was was used as a form to wind distilled off. The distillate the coil. was purified by tricklmg The green wood used was through a glass tube filled cut into pieces about 2l/p" with charcoal. The alcohol by I/%" by We used was tested with a hot coil beech and birch wood. I t of copper wire, which evoked required about one hour to the characteristic odor of tire a retort and produce a formaldehyde. good grade of charcoal. The precipitate was diSome of the pieces of green vided into two parts. wood were marked and One part was distilled weighed before and after dry, yielding acetone a t being placed in the retorts. about 56 degrees. The reAs a large amount of wood maining calcium acetate was was used to obtain the deheated with sulfuric acid sired quantity of pyroligneous THECONDENSER SHOWING T ~ I ECon. PARTLS REXOVED yielding acetic acid by distilacid, all the class had an lation. The acetic acid opportunity to work on the A, connection to retorts; B, water outlet; C,condenser outlet; D, water inlet. was used to prepare ethyl project. acetate. The pyroligneous acid obThis project gave the students some real work in ortained from the still was neutralized by adding calcium hydroxide and formed a muddy brown precipi- ganic chemistry. I t created community and class tate of impure calcium acetate. The liquid was drawn interest. Parents were invited to view the plant in off and the wood oils were separated. The liquid was operation.
