Question

You are handed a pale green liquid, and informed that someone accidentally spilled a minute fleck of an intensely green-colored crystalline dye in a rather expensive solvent. It doesn't make sense to throw away the slightly contaminated solvent. You are assigned the task of purifying this contaminated solvent. How would you carry out the task? Use experimental details.

Answer 1

The solvent contaminated with the intensely green-colored dye purification can be done by method of adsorption.

Stesp for purification.

To the solution add a pinch of activated charcoal and stir it.

Allow it to settle and see If the color has been adsorbed on charcoal which settles below. Is the solution abovethe solid is colorless. If yes, filter the solution throught a pad of celite. You should get the pure colorless solvent back.

If however, the color is still there, warm the solution while stirring and after some time repeat the procedure of settling down. The color should have gone and we should see a clear upper layer.

Filter the solution throught a pad of celite. You have recovered the pure expensive solvent back.