University

of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Determining the Percentage of Ethanol in Vodka By Means of Simple Distillation

ABELLA, Aira Monica; ARDINA, Quennie; BALDELOMAR, Ken; BALMES, Russ Russel; BANDAYREL, Eunice Selina 2A-PH

Abstract Vodka is a distilled alcoholic beverage and is one of the world's most popular drinks. Most vodkas are those with almost no Nlavor other than that of water and ethanol alcohol. Therefore, this experiment led to the separation of the two aforementioned components and to discover the percentage of ethanol found in vodka. Clear vodka usually has a higher alcohol content and contains as few impurities as possible. Most clear vodkas are between 80 and 100 proof, or 40 to 50 percent ethanol. The experiment weighed the difference in the efNiciency, timing and sample consumption of a simple distillation versus a fractional distillation. Half of the class performed the simple distillation while the other half did the fractional distillation. The procedure for each is identical, with the exception of a fractionating column for the fractional distillation.

Introduction Distillation is a valuable technique that is quite often used in the chemistry laboratory. It involves the conversion by heat of a solid or liquid substance into vapor and the subsequent condensation of this. The object of distillation is either to test the purity of an individual substance by the determination of its boiling-point, or to separate a mixture of substances boiling at different temperatures into its constituents. Which is known as the simple distillation. Essentially, it involves the
combined process of heating a liquid until it boils and passes into the vapor state, followed by condensation of that vapor into a liquid. When the temperature of a liquid is raised, the vapor pressure exerted by that liquid increases. When the vapor pressure becomes equal to the pressure of the atmosphere above the liquid, the liquid will pass into the vapor state which will boil. If you then cool down the vapors, they will condense and reform the liquid. The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which

the vapor pressure of the liquid becomes equal to the pressure of the atmosphere above the liquid. The distillation range of temperature can be an indication of the purity of the liquid. A liquid with a wide boiling or distilling range is impure. Fractional distillation is a technique used when separating a mixture of two liquids that do no behave well enough to use simple distillation. In this case simple distillation would not be enough to fully separate the two liquids. The distillate would contain a majority of one liquid but would still contain a little of the second. To further separate this resulting distillate, one would need to redistill this mixture. Depending on the two liquids in question, many simple distillations would be required to obtain pure liquid. Fractional distillation essentially performs these "redistillations" automatically in a portion of the fractional d i s t i l l a t i o n a p p a r a t u s c a l l e d t h e fractionating column. As the mixture boils, it turns to vapor and rises up the column. It reaches a certain point up the column and condenses. It then turns to vapor again and rises a little bit further up the column. This continues until the vapor rises all the way up the column and condenses in the condenser. At this point, the liquid has been completely puriQied. The experiment aims to separate the components of the chosen alcoholic beverage, vodka by distillation process more speciQically by simple distillation; to calculate the percentage alcohol and percentage loss in vodka and differentiate simple and fractional distillation techniques.

Methodology The experiment utilized a quick-Nit apparatus, an alcohol lamp as the source of heat, boiling chips as anti-bumping granules and vodka. At the same time, certain members of the group were assigned to prepare numbered test tubes calibrated down to the 0.5 mL mark to act as the receiver of the distillate while other members assembled the simple distillation set-up. The group cautiously assembled a quick-Nit apparatus to be employed for the simple distillation of vodka. The set-up required two iron stands, one to support the pear-shaped Nlask and another to bear the condenser. The group made certain to place a sufNicient amount of boiling chips and the 3o mL of vodka in the pear-shaped distilling Nlask before enclosing the mouth of the Nlask with the thermometer. After which, the condenser is attached at the protruding end of the Nlask. Another member then attached rubber tubings at the end close to the Nlask that served as the water outlet while to the other end is the water inlet. Finally, the other end of the condenser was connected to an adapter so that distillate could be received by prepared test tubes. Subsequent to the preparatory measures, the alcohol lamp is then placed directly beneath the distilling Nlask without the use of a wire gauze as required for direct heating and set alight. The heat from the alcohol lamp is then distributed by constant revolution around the Nlask. Bubble formation began to show as a sign of boiling vodka. Here, the temperature of the Nirst drop of distillate is recorded. After the Nirst

collection of distillate, the following 0.5 mL distillates are collected and taken note of their temperature. The collection of distillate was asked to stop after reaching 100C. A Nlammability test was conducted for the Nirst and last distillates. Each of which were transferred unto a separate watch glasses and applied with a lighted match. Observations were duly taken note by the group during the whole experiment. Results & Discussion I n t h e e x p e r i m e n t , q u i c k - N i t apparatus was used. A quick-Nit apparatus comprises of a pear-shaped Nlask, where the residue is placed, still head or distilling head, it holds the thermometer to allow the temperature of vapors to be monitored during the distillation, liebig condenser, a tube surrounded by a water jacket to cool and condense vapors, thermometer, measures the temperature, receiver adapter, connects the condenser and receiver, round bottom Nlask, where the distillate is placed. [Refer to Fig.1.0]
thermometer still head water outlet liebig condenser pear-shaped ask source of heat water inlet receiver ask Figure1.0 Quick-Qit apparatus Note:Alcohol lamp was used instead of the bunsen burner as depicted in the picture and there was no wire gauze. adapter

In a pear-shaped Nlask contained the sample and an ample amount of boiling stones. The boiling stones are small, irregularly shaped stones added to liquids to make them boil more smoothly. They provide nucleation sites so the liquid boils easily without becoming superheated. The heating of the Nlask should be slowly but constantly rotated. When the solution boils, a ring of condensate rises up the still head. If heating is too rapid and the c o n d e n s a t e i s p u s h e d t o o r a p i d l y , equilibrium between liquid and vapor will not occur and separation of the components will not be satisfactory. If the Nlask is heated too strongly before the distilling head has been warmed by hot vapors and condensate, the still head may Nlood, or shows an excessive amount of liquid in one or more portions.
Test Tube 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

T a b l e
Volume (mL) 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 Temperature (C) 82 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 87 88 89 90 92 94 94 94 96

1 . 0
Flame Test +

Test Tube 18 19 20 21 22 23

Volume (mL) 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5

Temperature (C) 96 96 97 97 97 97

Flame Test

Table 1.0 shows how volume is directly proportional to temperature because as one factor increases, the other increases alongside with it until it arrives at 100oC. In this experiment, two distinct components were obtained. The Nirst corresponds to the component with the least boiling point, ethanol, which is separated Nirst and the second corresponds with the highest boiling point, water, that is drawn off at the last. The component with the highest boiling point can be distilled and redistilled until it becomes pure. As stated in Daltons Law of Partial Pressure, the pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the pressures of all of the constituent gases alone. On the other hand, Raoults Law, asserted that the partial vapor pressure of a mixture in an ideal solution is equal to the vapor pressure of that pure mixture times its mole fraction in the liquid. A mixture must not have a mole fraction of water that is 0.7 because it will not boil at 100 o C and is less than atmospheric pressure. The concept of Dalton and Raoults law is that the vapor composition above a mixture is dependent both on the vapor pressures of the pure compound and on their mole fraction in the mixture. In the account of the Nlammability test, the Nirst distillate when tested for its Nlammability produced a blue Nlame which

means the components present are ethanol and water. However, the last distillate which is the 23rd test tube, when tested did not produce a Nlame when ignited since it consisted only of water. Considering the results of the Nlammability test, it could be a s s u m e d t h a t t h e r e i s a n i n v e r s e relationship between the amount of ethanol and its exposure to heat. The longer the vodka is subjected to distillation, the amount of alcohol decreases as showed in the collection of distillates.
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Figure 2. Temperature (oC) versus Volume (mL) of distillate

Figure 2.0 shows that as the volume of distillate collected increases, the temperature also increases. When the temperature reached close to 100oC, the temperature stopped from rising and is constant as manifested by the straight lines in the chart. The graphed points at 82oC is the azeotrope, which is a mixture that distills at a constant boiling point and with a constant composition. The boiling point of the azeotrope is lower than that of either pure component. Because boiling point is lower, the azeotrope will distill before a component present in excess. Thus, the excess component will not distill as pure compound until the azeotrope has completely distill.

Percentage of ethanol (computations): % ethanol = volume of ethanol (mL) x 100 ! ! volume of vodka

% ethanol = 1.50mL - 0.5mL x 100 ! ! ! 30mL

% ethanol = 3.33% ethanol derived ! ! from 30 mL of vodka

which have boiling points more than 25C from each other at one atmospheric pressure. Fractional distillation separates liquid more efQiciently than simple distillation since there are glass beads in the f r a c t i o n a t i n g c o l u m n . A f r a c t i o n a l distillation provides theoretical plates on which the reQluxing liquid can condense, re- evaporate and condense again, essentially distilling the compound over and over again. If there is a mixture of two liquid c o m p o u n d s , b o t h c o m p o u n d s w i l l contribute to the vapor pressure of the total mixture. But the composition of the vapors is not the same as the composition of the liquid. There is a greater percentage of the lower boiling compound in the mixture of vapors than there is in the mixture of liquids. Therefore, if we boil a mixture of two liquids and condense the vapors, the condensed (distilled) mixture will have a greater percentage of the lower boiling liquid than the original mixture did. This is because it takes less energy for the lower boiling liquid to enter the vapor phase. Hence, ethanol with a boiling point of 80C boiled Qirst since it required less energy than water with an approximate boiling point of 100C. If the distilling range is narrow and constant during a distillation, it usually means that the liquid is pure. However, some liquids will form an azeotrope when they are combined. An azeotrope is a mixture of liquids that has a narrow constant boiling range. One example of an azeotrope is the mixture of ethanol (alcohol) and benzene (a carcinogenic substance). If you distill a mixture of these liquids, you will not be able to separate them completely. This is because they will form an azeotrope, and both compounds will always be present

Percentage loss (computations): % loss = Vsample - (Vresidue + Vdistillate) x 100 ! ! ! Vsample = 30mL - (10.00mL+11.50mL) x 100 ! ! ! ! 30 mL

% loss = 28.33% There is 3.33% ethanol derived from the vodka sample. The percent loss is 28.33%, on the other hand, is quite near compared to the original alcohol content of vodka. This explains that there was some part of the sample that was loss caused by evaporation due to the constant heating of the Nlask. The percentage loss shows the amount of spilled liquid during the span of the experiment. Since the percent loss may also be known as percent error, there couldve been lack of temperature control, misreading of temperature or improper Nitting of the apparatus. All in all, the process of distillation is an effective way of separating or purifying liquid mixtures. Conclusion
Simple distillation is used in separating components of liquid mixtures,

in the vapor stage until one or both of the compounds has been completely distilled. Ethanol will always have some benzene mixed in with it although only found in a small percentage. Which means that it is not safe to drink, and if distilled, it still will not be safe to drink because there will still be benzene mixed in with the ethanol.

References Deland, P. About Vodka. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/ about_456391_vodka.html

Bayquen, A., Cruz, C., De Guia, R. Lampa, F., Pena, G., Sarile, A., Torres, P. Laboratory Manual in Organic Chemistry. pp.13-14

Snelling, C.R. Distillation - Simple vs. Fractional. Retrieved from http:// www2.volstate.edu/chem/2010/ Labs/Distillation.html

Retrieved from http://www.wellesley.edu/ Chemistry/chem211lab/ Orgo_Lab_Manual/Appendix/ Techniques/FractionalDistill/ fractional_distill.html Simple and Fractional Distillation. Retrieved from http:// fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/pherrman/ documents/distill208.pdf