Author Question: What would be the outcome of the recrystallization of trimyristin if the following instructions were ... (Read 44 times)

cabate · **on:** Aug 23, 2018

What would be the outcome of the recrystallization of trimyristin if the following instructions were provided at the beginning of Laboratory Period 2? After standing a minimum of 24 hours, there should be a considerable quantity of crystals in the Erlenmeyer flask. Place the flask in an ice-water bath for at least 20 minutes. Isolate the crystals by brief vacuum filtration and wash them with 2 mL of acetone. Try to get the acetone to come into contact with the majority of crystals.

Question 2

Gas chromatographic analysis of the tert-butyl methyl ether collected from the distillation in Part II of Laboratory Period 1 showed no impurities in the distillate. The oil of nutmeg is known to consist of many other organic compounds besides trimyristin. What does the purity of the distillate indicate about these other compounds?

Ksh22 · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The yield of trimyristin would be substantially lower than expected because the crystals were washed with room temperature acetone. The crystals should be washed with icecold acetone to minimize dissolution of the crystals.

Answer to Question 2

It tells us that none of these other organic compounds have boiling points near that of tert-butyl methyl ether. That is, all of these compounds must have boiling points significantly higher than 56 C.