@article{MAKHILLRJAS201712210002,
    title = {The Effect of Column Height, Packing Materials and Azeotrope Separation on the
Purity of Ethanol Sourced from Ogogoro (Local Gin)},
    journal = {Research Journal of Applied Sciences},
    volume = {12},
    number = {2},
    pages = {97-103},
    year = {2017},
    issn = {1815-932x},
    doi = {rjasci.2017.97.103},
    url = {https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?issn=1815-932x&doi=rjasci.2017.97.103},
    author = {V.E.,J.D.,D.E. and},
    keywords = {Ethanol,local gin,purity,fractional distillation,azeotrope},
    abstract = {Locally brewed Ogogoro, a mixture of ethanol and water in the ratio of 28:72 by volume was separated
into its constituents by means of fractional distillation. The mixture of 95.5% ethanol and 4.5% water
(percentage by volume) formed an azeotrope with a boiling point of 78.2EC and thus could not be further
purified by distillation. The ethanol/water mixture after distilling to the azeotrope was shaken with calcium oxide
to form the non-volatile compound, calcium hydroxide which altered the stability of the azeotrope and hence
further separation of the constituents of the mixture. Nearly all of the calcium hydroxide was removed by
filtration and the filtrate was redistilled to obtain higher puzrity ethanol relative to the azeotrope. The percentage
purities of the ethanol were 96.5, 97% with the highest purity being 97.5%. The mass of calcium oxide used was
varied at a constant time of 1 h and the effect on the percentage of ethanol achieved were recorded as 95.5, 97.7,
97, 96.5 and 96.5% from the initial percentages 95, 95, 95.5, 95.5 and 95.5% ethanol, respectively. By comparing
masses, 10 g of calcium oxide gave the highest percentage purity of ethanol after distillation which was 97.5%.
Also, in order to determine the effect of time on product purity, the duration for drying the ethanol/water mixture
with constant mass of 10 g calcium oxide was varied from 1-5 h. It was observed that increase in drying time for
the ethanol/water mixture after 1 h did not lead to increase in the purity of ethanol distilled. The effects of
increase in height of column as well as number of random packing was investigated and found to increase the
efficiency of the distillation process. Using the double fractionating column of height 77 cm with 145 random
glass packing improved the purity of the ethanol from 40-2% as compared with 86% which was the percentage
purity obtained when a single fractionating column of height 46 cm with 92 random glass packing was used.}
    }