prati4u

i want to know about esterification of acetic acid with ethanol and the catalyst used in the processs so as to improve the yield.

here`s a thread for any

Curious Chemists that want to try a little bit of Organic chem' date=' the idea is to make and share recipes for Esters and TRY to describe the smells if you can.

 

I`ve just had a go myself and made Ethyl Benzoate, it smells almost good enough to eat!

 

simply 5ml of 100% Ethanol (it should work with the 95% too), added to Benzoic Acid (I added roughly half a T`spoon (or 2 spatulas) and then 4 drops of Conc Sulphuric acid.

interestingly the benzoic acid dissolves in the ethanol 100%, but when you add the sulphuric (esp in one spot) a white solid forms but then dissolves again?

 

next gently heat it, when the vapor starts to rise and condense half way up the test tube, Stop and let it cool, you can do this a few times if you like, I find it gets a little stronger each time.

 

when cool, get a bowl of cold water, and dump the test tube contents into it, then have a sniff.

this particular Ester smells a bit like some sort of wild Mint plant with perhaps and underscore of Liquorice?

 

try it yourselves as let me know what you think, and also add your own "recipe" in this thread too

 

Let`s make a HUGE collection of them, I recon this should be alot of fun![/quote']