CHEM 351/353 LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Equipment
 
Picture
Condenser
Used for cooling vapours, converting them back to liquids by cooling the inner tube via the outer "jacket" with cold water. The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Distilling Column
Looks very similar to a simple condenser and can also be used in that way. The difference is small glass dimples in the inner tube at the lower end that allow the inner tube to be packed (e.g. with glass beads). The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Round bottom flasks
Commonly used for carrying out reactions as part of a set-up. The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Claisen adapter
Used to allow two vertical connections to a single joint. The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
3-way adapter
Used in a distillation apparatus to connect the flask or distilling column to the condenser and allow a thermometer to be inserted into the joint to monitor the temperature of the distillate. The 3-way adapter is sometimes called a "distilling head". The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Vacuum adapter
Used in a distillation apparatus to connect the condenser to the receiving flask. The side arm allows for the pressure to be lowered (a vacuum distillation) by connecting it to a pump. The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Neoprene fitment
Often used to hold a thermometer in place in a thermometer adaptor.
Thermometer adapter
Used to allow a thermometer to be inserted into an apparatus at a joint. The ground glass joints allow for tight seals between the pieces but increase the cost.
Drying Tube
A drying tube is used to keep moisture out of a reaction set up but still allows air in. The tube needs to be packed with a chemical "drying agent" that absorbs water.
Separatory funnels
Used to separate mixtures of immiscible liquids, commonly used as part of an extraction, a common procedure. Here we see a regular 250mL (right) and a 125mL (left) with a ground glass joint on the stem.
Erlenmeyer flask  
Vacuum filtering flask
Looks a lot like an Erlenmeyer but it has a side arm tube that can be connected to a pump to allow the pressure inside the flask to be lowered. Commonly used as part of a vacuum filtration apparatus.
Buchner and Hirsch funnels
These ceramic (or plastic) funnels are typically used for vacuum filtrations.
Vacuum filter ring and cone
These rubber pieces are used to create a seal between the vacuum filtering flask and the funnel during vacuum filtrations.
[Chem 350 Home]Return to Homepage