Acetone is a colorless, volatile liquid that is miscible with water and soluble in many organic solvents. It is a widely used industrial solvent with a wide range of applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other industries. In this article, we will explore how to make acetone in a lab through a step-by-step guide and its potential uses.

Making Acetone in a Lab

There are several methods to make acetone in a lab. One of the most common methods involves the oxidation of acetone using manganese dioxide as the oxidant. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making acetone in a lab:

Step 1: Gather the required materials and equipment: You will need manganese dioxide, acetone, a condenser, a heating mantle, a magnetic stirrer, a three-necked flask, and glassware suitable for use in a lab.

Step 2: Add a few grams of manganese dioxide to the three-necked flask and heat it on the heating mantle until it melts.

Step 3: Add a few drops of acetone to the flask and stir well. Note that the reaction is exothermic, so be careful not to heat it too much.

Step 4: Continue stirring the mixture for about 30 minutes or until the gas evolution stops. This indicates that the reaction is complete.

Step 5: Cool the mixture to room temperature and transfer it to a separating funnel. Separate the organic phase from the aqueous phase.

Step 6: Dry the organic phase using magnesium sulfate and filter it through a short path vacuum filter to remove any impurities.

Step 7: Distill the acetone using a simple laboratory distillation setup. Collect the fractions that match the boiling point of acetone (about 56°C) and collect them in a suitable container.

Step 8: Test the purity of the collected acetone using chemical tests and spectrographic analysis. If the purity is satisfactory, you have successfully made acetone in a lab.

Potential Uses of Lab-Made Acetone

Lab-made acetone can be used for various purposes. Here are some potential uses: