Question

Both benzoic acid and ethyl benzoate are soluble in organic solvents. How can you use extraction to separate them?

Answer 1

We Can do it in two process:

1) benzoic acid is higly polar compared with ethyl benzoate.

Extraction eed to be done in ethyl acetate and water. Water is polar and carboxylic acid is polar. Carboxylic acid goes to the water. in ethyl acetate only remaining ester.

2) For these two mixture need to add dil NaOH.

Carboxylic acid converted to salt. We can use any kind of solvent for extraction, ethyl acetate and water extraction take an example. Salt goes to the water. and in ethyl acetate only ester compound.