Question

A scientist needed to purify a reaction product that was contaminated with a solid that has a melting point of 100°C and a boiling point of 190°C with a vapor pressure of 3 torr. However, the desire product decomposes at 150°C. What method would be best to separate the undesired byproduct from the desired product? Explain.

Answer 1

We can separate the underised byproduct by first heating the impure reaction product at 100 degree Celsius by which the byproduct will melt and then it can be separated by filtration as it will be in molten form.

Thus heating the mixture at 100 degree c followed by filtration will give the purified desired product .

We cannot use evaporation here as the byproduct is non volatile, and if we'll use the distillation then the desired product will decompose hence it can also not be used.