[Stoves] FW: pot skirt efficiency estimates, scale-up

[ajheggie at gmail.com]

[Default] On Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:23:04 -0700,"Frank Shields"
<frank at compostlab.com> wrote:

>Hi All,
>
> 
>
>I've done this type of test a lot in the past. I don't think you can get
>better than 95% ethanol via distilling even with the right glassware to
>separate out the fractions. 

Yes that's what's known as the constant boiling mixture, technically
it means the distillate is an azeotrope.

>In the past we used sodium metal to remove water from solvents (benzene) and
>think it might work for ethanol. Not sure I would try it as those were the
>'exciting' days in the lab. There must be better methods. 


I've never tried it but the distillate can be dried by passing it
through corn grits?? split cereal grains that have been dried at above
100C, they absorb the water and pass most of the alcohol

AJH