We run an ester synthesis lab in org 2, as I’m sure many of you have done if you’ve taken organic chemistry. Well, I was just BUMMED OUT about us making Amyl Acetate. It smells like bananas (well synthetic bananas). Of course only a certain number of students looked at eachother and said WE DON’T WANT TO SMELL BANANAS…mainly because it’s been our known substance on the Fourier transform IR for the past 3 months. Bad memories…anyway…
I gave her the idea that we could make biodiesel since it’s essentially an ester reaction. She was excited. Enamored. Thrilled with the idea, since her husband has been toying around with it for the past few months (he’s purchased an older MB diesel for the purpose). So…making biodiesel. I don’t know many schools that make biodiesel in Org 2…
Yes, but do high school students know what they’re doing? I think not.
I can test for quality.
If you read the directions online for biodiesel it is pretty obvious that not many people have a clue as to why they putting things together in the way they do. It’s kind of like people that make crystal meth… You can teach monkeys to type!Q
Well, the school owns the equipment so I don’t think that would be possible. We probably won’t make much since we have labs of 13 people (this is a small number, but our labs are pretty small). It’s not as though we’re going to be starting a factory.
