How to Distill Water From Ink
Modern inks are a complex blend of many chemicals. These include pigments or dyes to provide color, of course, but also polymeric resins, pH controls, anti-foaming agents and biocides. For this reason, the distillation of inks is a good demonstration of the ability of this technique to separate substances based on volatility. Since the water in ink should have a substantially lower boiling point than any of the other ingredients, heating the ink vaporizes the water and allows you to separate it from the rest of the ink components.
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Things You'll Need
- Round-bottom flask
- Heating mantle
- Ring stands and clamps
- Y adapter with stopper
- Boiling chips
- Condensing tube
- Rubber hoses
- Water source
- Beaker
Instructions
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Fill the round-bottom flask about half-full with ink and fix it in place with the clamp and ring stand, so its open neck faces up and it sits on the heating mantle. Add a few boiling chips to the ink. These prevent the ink from "bumping" or splashing during the distillation.
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Place the lower opening of the Y adapter into the open neck of the round bottom flask. Stopper the upper opening of the Y adapter.
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Place one end of the condensing tube in the rightmost opening of the Y adapter. Hold the condensing tube in place with another ring stand and clamp and position it so it angles downwards, such that the end not attached to the adapter is lower than the attached end. Place a beaker below the lower (open) end of the condensing tube.
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Connect rubber hoses to the inlet and outlet points of the condensing tube. Attach the free end of the hose connected to the inlet to a source of cold water. Place the free end of the hose attached to the outlet into a drain. Turn on the water flow and ensure that water flows through the outer cooling jacket of the condensing tube.
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Turn on the heating mantle at a low setting and slowly increase the heat provided to the ink in the flask until it begins to boil; leave the heat at that setting. You will observe clear water vapor move up the Y adapter and into the condensing tube where it condenses back into liquid. The liquid flows down the tube and collects in the beaker.
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When approximately three-quarters of the ink volume is distilled off, turn off the heat and allow the apparatus to cool down before disassembling it. You now have a beaker of pure distilled water and some leftover concentrated ink (still containing a small amount of water) in the round-bottom flask.
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Tips & Warnings
Stop the distillation before all the water boils off. Otherwise, the ink solids chars and sticks to the round bottom flask, making it very difficult to clean.
Wear safety goggles when performing the distillation.
Handle hot glassware carefully during and after the distillation.
Inspect the glassware for cracks or other imperfections before use.
References
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