Name: Georgie Kate M.

Vinagrera
Co-worker: Shen Cabaliza

Purification of Crude Benzoic Acid by Recrystallization and Sublimation

1. Why use/add
a. Charcoal
It was added to remove unwanted colored impurities from a solid compound during
recrystallization process.
b. Wide bore short stemmed funnel
Short stemmed funnel was used because it does not quickly cool the solution during
filtration which makes this type of funnel less prone to premature recrystallization.
c. Fluted filter paper
This is often used to filter hot solution with a solute during a recrystallization procedure
because it maximizes the filtering capacity of the filter paper and it increases the speed of
filtration.
d. Cold distilled water for washing
This was used to remove adhering mother liquor and to dissolve the small traces of
impurities trapped on the surface of the Benzoic Acid crystals.
e. 3 mL of hot dH2O in Erlenmeyer Flask
This was used to prevent premature recrystallization in the container, therefore making the
recrystallized Benzoic Acid more pure.
2. Sources of error
a. If a beaker was used instead of an Erlenmeyer flask, rapid and dangerous loss of flammable
vapors of hot solvent would have occurred because of the beaker’s wide mouth.
b. If the sample was boiled more than the designated time for it to boil, it would dry up.
c. If many activated carbon (Charcoal) pellets were added, they would have absorbed some of
the Benzoic Acid along with the impurities. Also, if the solution with the Charcoal pellets was
not boiled long enough, there would still be leftover impurities thus producing an impure
solution which eventually, will not yield the expected amount of crystals.
d. If a different kind of filter paper and a narrow bore long stemmed funnel were used or if the
filter paper and the funnel were not sufficiently heated, premature crystals would clog
either the filter paper or the stem of the funnel, which would slow down the process of
filtration.
e. If the solution was not filtered right away then it started to cool down, it would lead to
premature recrystallization during the filtration.
f. If the solution was not cooled slowly without disturbance, it would produce less pure
Benzoic Acid crystals or worse, crystals might not form.
g. If a graduated cylinder was used in measuring 3 mL of hot water instead of a dropper, there
would be an error in the volume of the liquid.
h. If there is a large excess of solvent, crystals will not form.
i. When the boiling point of the solvent is higher than the boiling point of the compound
(solute), the solute might come out of the solution in the form of an impure oil instead of
forming purified crystals.
3. Checking the purity of the substance
We can determine which method gives a more pure substance by:
a. Percent Recovery
A high percentage yield implies a low concentration of impurities, whereas a low percentage
yield indicates a sample with a lot of impurities.
b. Melting Point Determination
If a sample of the purified Benzoic Acid contains impurities, its melting point is usually
lowered and the range is broadened. Therefore, a narrow melting point range (1-2˚C)
indicates that the sample is pure.