Do they mix/miscible without separating?

19 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Do they mix/miscible without separating?

I don’t know but I would expect the solubility to be quite good. I’m not sure I would expect full miscibility, as the alkyl group of butyric acid is quite big and might reduce the hydrogen bonding of propylene glycol too much. 

6 hours ago, exchemist said:

I don’t know but I would expect the solubility to be quite good. I’m not sure I would expect full miscibility, as the alkyl group of butyric acid is quite big and might reduce the hydrogen bonding of propylene glycol too much. 

Thanks for answering. I did it, no layers can be seen and optically clear. It was about 10% by volume BA in to PG. I'm finding PG is a good food solvent and sort of bridge between polar and non-polar ingredients; letting them sit together better.

21 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Thanks for answering. I did it, no layers can be seen and optically clear. It was about 10% by volume BA in to PG. I'm finding PG is a good food solvent and sort of bridge between polar and non-polar ingredients; letting them sit together better.

What are you doing with butyric acid, if you don't mind me asking. It's got a pretty horrible smell  (rancid butter, vomit etc).    

6 minutes ago, exchemist said:

What are you doing with butyric acid, if you don't mind me asking. It's got a pretty horrible smell  (rancid butter, vomit etc).    

Making fish attractors.  They are strongly attracted to that end of the chemical sphere. 

20 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Making fish attractors.  They are strongly attracted to that end of the chemical sphere. 

Ah yes, according to Wiki that is indeed one of the applications for it. Hope you don't spill any on your clothes. 

1 minute ago, exchemist said:

Ah yes, according to Wiki that is indeed one of the applications for it. Hope you don't spill any on your clothes. 

It's in two containers. Well aware it likes to hang around.

@exchemistI just added some 8-carbon octanoic acid, which doesn't want to mingle with PG. Is there a surfactant that will make them miscible? I think I'm looking to making a stable suspension, rather than solution.

Try Polyethylenglycole 10000

40 minutes ago, chenbeier said:

Try Polyethylenglycole 10000

Will look into PEG10000. Thanks.

50 minutes ago, chenbeier said:

Try Polyethylenglycole 10000

Is there a particular reason for PEG10000? It seems to be solid at ambient temps and I'd like it to stay liquid in the single digits temperature-wise. Would a lower weight version be better for my use?

Can try with lower molar weight. But your acid is liquid. Can dissolve it.

It's interesting Butyric Acid is a fairly common ingredient in fragrance making. I have heard it said that every good fragrance has at least one awful ingredient, tho...

56 minutes ago, npts2020 said:

It's interesting Butyric Acid is a fairly common ingredient in fragrance making. I have heard it said that every good fragrance has at least one awful ingredient, tho...

It's all about the concentration in the air. Butyric acid hints at familiar foods when it's just a whiff; bakery, butter, humbug sweets etc. A bit more and you are into hot sunny day armpit territory It adds depth, which makes it a 'bottom note' in mixes and rounds things out. Caproic acid (C6) is much the same... a bit more sweaty smelling, cheesy. These things are in your food as natural components of some foods aromas.

Edited January 6, 20241 yr by StringJunky

You drew a picture of an epicurious symphony for me just there. +1

15 minutes ago, iNow said:

You drew a picture of an epicurious symphony for me just there. +1

Ha!, cheers. Smells tell me stories. I think this will progress naturally to looking at hormone signalling that's triggered by the chemical signals in the water.

24 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

hormone signalling that's triggered by the chemical signals in the water

And via mycelium colonies underground, I imagine