PP

Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to remove water from a reaction mixture to form an ester. As water
is removed, the equilibrium is upset. The ester that is being prepared in this experiment is n-propyl
propionate.

Experimental Procedure:
The C structural Formulas for Alcohol and carboxylic acid were drawn out.  Using
densities, the proper amounts of carboxylic acid and alcohol were determined. The proper amounts of
0.974 mL of propanoic acid and 0.823 mL of 1-propanol were determined to be used for the experiment.
The volume of the propanoic acid and 1-propanol were measured and placed into a 5 mL round-
bottomed flask. 2 drops of sulfuric acid were added, while swirling. Then, for heating boiling chips were added. A distillation apparatus was set up which involved a distillation column, condenser, and side-arm. The flask was heated to a gentle boil, then refluxed for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes to cool the contents, the round-bottomed flask was raised from reflux. The apparatus was also
allowed to cool briefly and the apparatus was then tilted allowing the water and other distillate to drain back
into the round-bottomed flask. Density causes the water to seperate from the distilate and stay in the side arm when tilted. Before being refluxed again, the distillate was drained back into the round-bottomed flask, while the water stay in the side-arm. The round-bottomed flask was lowered back into the sand bath and allowed to reflux for an additional 15
minutes.