Debbie,

I don’t think tape is needed.  The use of room temperature water, or just air will work unless there is vacuum that would drive the distillation temp below about 50 deg C.  Keeping the vacuum so the bp is 75-100 deg C will give enough temp difference to condense the vapor.  I have used air flowing through a condenser just fine, and also non-chilled water.  Either way is successful and avoids freezing (and the expense of the heating tape).

Lee



On 9/30/15, 1:00 PM, "Debbie M. Decker" <dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**UCDAVIS.EDU> wrote:

Hi:
 
My newest researcher will be using a column purification system to purify his suite of solvents for organic synthesis.  One of those is DMSO.  It freezes at about  room temperature.  He wishes to use a heating tape to keep it gooey enough to go through the column.  Here’s what he’s proposing to use: http://bit.ly/1WyMYFX <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__bit.ly_1WyMYFX&d=BQMGaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=xzO9NA7598OTbBvU1-mLkduTckTPbZwdLawdJ0A6OOw&s=68RnMQio2fOZmT2eoZ6vLJHRobmj1dUQeDdYX3n4T08&e=>
 
I’m inclined to say go ahead, so long as he installs this column at the end of the rack and in proximity to the least flammable of the other solvents.  I’m also  wondering if he should just have it on at low temperature all the time or wait until they have a problem and then thaw it using a heat gun.  I don’t like the heat gun idea, particularly, but there are also risks associated with having something heating all  the time.
 
What do ya’ll think?
 
Thanks,
Debbie
 
Debbie M. Decker, CCHO, ACS Fellow
Chair, Division of Chemical Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
(530)754-7964
(530)304-6728
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu <mailto:dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu>
 
Birkett's hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction
that proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,
can proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post