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separate acetic acid from nacl

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ch3cooh

Chemical
Feb 25, 2003
1
what process would separate acetic acid from nacl in solution
 
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If you mean both substances in water solution, distillation would do the trick.
 
Waterexpert, do you mean to boil off the water since the acid has a higher BP of (118oC) ?

Let's ch3cooh tell us more about concentrations, etc.
 
Guess that by distilling you keep NaCl in AcH, instead of separating them .....
Can we test if there is some Metal which forms insoluble salts with Acetate and soluble with Chloride ?
 
Have you considered freezing the acetic acid and filtering its crystals away ?
 
What about ion exchange to remove the NaCl... Would this suit your needs?
 
If you boil off the water, the salt will crystallise, due to low solubility on acetic acid.
 
In one of the production methods for acetic acid, water is removed with an azeotropic entrainer by distillation at relatively low temperatures. However, there is no salt to dispose of.
 
The volatility of acetic acid can be increased by decreasing the pH of the solution with HCl. Now, this results in a particularly corrosive solution but since everyone else ignores this, I CAN TOO!

Seriously though, I would evaluate acidification, down to pH 2 or so, and pull a vacuum on it. Run this in the lab...I'm not talking about a DOE here, just run some points (i.e., pH 2, 3, 4) and pull a full vacuuum for X min.

Run sample for COD to assess qualitative performance. Quick and easy...

Good comments group.
 
RGCooK: I can't say what is the BP drop of acetic acid when displaced by another acid, especially when Ac. Ac. is almost a non-ionized weak acid, but in the case of HCl it wouldn't hurt to remember that HCl forms an azeotrope with water boiling at 108.6oC containing 79.8% w/w water, which is below the normal Ac. Ac. BP (about 118oC).

 
Hello 25362,

Your point is taken. However, consider this. Given that pH is -log[H+], where H+ [=] mol/L, *AND* considering also that HCl is a strong acid that will fully disassociate, what is the concentration of HCl needed to reach pH 2?

My point is that if my previous idea does not work, pull the plug on the test before you hit the HCl-H2O azeotrope!

I hope I didn't misinterpret your remark!

Bob
 
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