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Recrystallization of benzoic acid
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Recrystallization is a purification technique commonly used in organic chemistry. Here's a concise explanation of its application to benzoic acid:
1. Dissolving: Benzoic acid is dissolved in a hot solvent (often water or a mixture of water and ethanol) in which it is more soluble at higher temperatures. Impurities are also dissolved, but ideally to a lesser extent.
2. Cooling and Crystallization: The solution is slowly cooled. As the temperature decreases, the solubility of benzoic acid drops, and it starts to crystallize out of the solution, leaving behind most of the impurities.
3. Filtration: The crystals are separated from the remaining solution (mother liquor) by filtration. The crystals are washed with a small amount of cold solvent to remove any residual impurities.
4. Drying: The crystals are dried to remove any remaining solvent.
Recrystallization relies on the principle of differences in solubility between the desired compound and impurities. The process can be repeated for further purification.
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