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Determination of Ethanol Content from Ginebra Gin by Fractional Distillation

K.A.* Dimaano, G.P. Directo, C. Ducut, T. Encinares, M.H. Encinas

Abstract Ginebra Gin was prepared to be use for fractional distillation as it contains 40% alcohol content (80 proof) and water. In the experiment, 30 mL of the gin was prepared and heated. In every 0.5 mL of the distillate, temperature was recorded until the temperature o reached 100 C. Flammability test was used for the first distillate and the last distillate.By the end of the experiment, 10 mL was collected with 33.33% computed alcohol content.

Introduction Distillation is the recovery of valuable components from a liquid mixture by vaporization and condensation (1). A mixture of liquids with sufficiently different boiling points can often be separated into components by distillation (2). There are two frequently used methods for distillation: Simple Distillation is frequently used in the organic chemistry labs and is use when the liquid is contaminated by a liquid with a boiling point that differs by at least 70C and when an essentially pure material is separated from a nonvolatile or from a solid contaminant. Fractional Distillation is based on the establishment of a large number of theoretical vaporization-condensation cycles and is commonly used if the combined liquids to be distilled have a close boiling point range (3). Distillation separates the basic components of fractions of a mixture by their individual boiling points. During the distillation

process, a mixture is heated until it vaporizes and condensed. The condensed liquid is referred to as the distillate; the liquid that does not vaporize in a column is called the residue (4). The experiment aims to: (a). differentiate simple form fractional distillation, (b). separate the alcohol and water component of the Ginebra gin, (c).Calculate the percentage of alcohol content in Ginebra gin. Methodology Assemble the fractional distillation set-up and observe the proper set-up. A quick-fit fractional distillation was use in the experiment. The components of quick-fit apparatus are 1. Pear-shaped flask, where the residue is placed; 2. Still head (distilling head), it holds the thermometer to allow the temperature of vapors to be monitored during the distillation; 3. Liebig condenser, a tube surrounded by

a water jacket to cool and condense vapors; 4. Thermometer, measures the temperature; 5. Receiver adapter, connects the condenser and receiver; 6. Test tubes, which was calibrated down to 0.5 mL mark; 7. Tap funnel, allow the controlled release of a liquid and direct the flow of it.

correspondent to the zero volume most especially in the making of the graph. The distillate from the test tubes underwent flame test. The first 0.5 mL distillate and the last 0.5 mL of the istillate were taken as the sample for the test. To check if the distillate would react and ignite, lighting of the match was used. Formulas were used to solve and to get the % alcohol, %loss and %error:

Results The temperature of the every 0.5 mL was recorded and shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Temp. ( distillate. Figure 1: A Fractional Distillation Set-Up reading per 0.5 mL of

Test Tube

Volume (mL)

Temperatur e oC

Ginebra Gin is placed inside the pear shaped flask and heated until it boiled. The temperature of the first drop of distillate was recorded together with the temperature of the presiding drop. The brand was recorded and the gin was obtained. The 30 mL gin was poured in the distilling flask together with 3 pieces of boiling chips that were inserted. The temperature was recorded on the first drop and in every 0.5 mL of the distillate collected, temperature was also recorded. The temperature and the volume were recorded in the whole experiment. The first drop is also

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50

78 79 79 80 80 81 82 88 94 95 95

12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20

6.00 6.50 7.00 7.50 8.00


8.50 9.00 9.50 10.00

95 96 96 97 97
98 98 99 99

Table 2 shows the result of the flammability test of the first distillate test tube and the last distillate test tube.
Table 2: Flammability Test

Table 1 show that as the volume of distillate increase, the temperature also increases until it comes to a point wherein the temperature closes to 100oC. Graph 1 shows the relationship of temperature and volume of distillate.
Graph 1: Plot of Temperature volume (mL) of distillate.

Distillate Flame test First Distillate Positive Last Distillate Negative The result shows that the first distillate produced flame while the last distillate did not produced flame. After performing the flammability test, the percent alcohol and percent loss can then be computed using these formulas.

(oC) against

T E
120

M 100 P 80 E R
40 60

A T U R E Graph 1 shows that as the volume of distillate collected increases, the temperature also increases.
20 0 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5

Volume

Discussion In Table 1 and Graph 1, a portion of the result has temperature that stopped from rising and is constant as showcased by the straight lines in the chart. The straight line is called azeotrope. An azeotrope is a liquid mixture with an equilibrium vapor of the same composition as the liquid. The azeotrope are called constant boiling mixtures as the liquid and vapor compositions are the same, the boiling point of the liquid mixture remains constant as vapor is generated (5). The flammability test shows that the first distillate was primarily composed of the alcohol content as it produced a flame while the last distillate is composed primarily of water as it did not produced flame.

As shown in the computation, the percent alcohol of the sample is 33.33%. The percent loss of 21.66%, on the other hand, is quite near compared to the original alcohol content of gin. Based of the date gathered, A simple distillation apparatus is less efficient than a fractional distillation apparatus, but is used to purify materials containing only small amounts of impurities with much higher or lower boiling points (3).

Conclusion The fractional distillation is more effective than simple distillation because it yield a closer percentage of alcohol than that of simple distillation. The ezeotrope of the experiment also shows the boiling point of the ethanol. References 1. Whitten, K., Davis, R., Peck, L., and G. Stanley (2010). Chemistry (9 th Edition). California: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. 2. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6602463/DKE202ch9 Date Accessed: July 28, 2011 3. http://swc2.hccs.edu/pahlavan/2423L7.pdf date accessed: July 25, 2011 4. Thomas, C. (2011). Process Technology Equipment and Systems (3rd Edition). New York: Delmar, Cengage Learning. 5. Parashan, N. (2006). Mass Transfer II (4th Edition). India: Rachana Enterpises.

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