Lab Glass: The Drying Pistol

In this video, I talk about a drying pistol and show how it is used.
This one came out a little longer than I wanted but I think it has some good info.
Patreon Link: / dougslab

[@christopherthumm4348]

Thanks Doug for pulling out 👍 that's always a great move 👍 I didn't see the shape in the glassware until it was brought out lol

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

Love the frequent uploads, great to see you back!

[@StreuB1]

Very cool piece of glass!!! I like this format BTW, very cool.

[@hamaljay]

Pulling out a pistol. Yup he did his 'merica today.

[@christopherhurley2570]

lol, damn these gun packing chemists these days... but hey, Welcome back Doug! I don't actually subscribe to any channels but I try to throw all the likes I can. You make great videos and youtube is sorely lacking in good chemistry content, very good to see you making vids again.

[@edgeeffect]

That's a cool video. Not only do we get to see a nice bit of antiquated equipment... but you also gave us some good general practical lab advice. And "how to use equipment" can be just as useful as "how this reaction works"... keep up The Great Work.

[@aga5897]

Excellent ! Great to see the older solutions demonstrated, especially when done so well.

[@astralchemistry8732]

Great video! Makes me a bit nostalgic. It feels like an incredibly long time has passed since I watched your last video before the break and everything changed but you came back and you make these great videos again!

[@KingNast]

I'd love to see more vids like this. I'm really interested in the setup and apparatus. I don't know much about chemistry, but I know a lot more than the average person thanks to youtubers like you, nilered, nurdrage, etc. Good to see you back making videos!

[@NicholasA231]

Thank you so much for coming back. You never fail to add a valued perspective even to topics covered by many others. Also, keep doing these types of videos! For myself, I never pursued chemistry seriously as a career, but I loved the courses that I took. I am finding continuing my education as a hobby is very rewarding, but I find that I am missing some history and knowledge, especially in areas like the uses of any slightly esoteric glassware. Education by Google has severe limitations, and topics like this are definitely one. I have started reading texts appropriate to what I want to learn, but I'm also lazy, and you do me a great service here.

[@theginginator1488]

Was not expecting an actual pistol 😂

[@papaversomniferum5247]

TheGinginator14 everyone should own a pistol! Your government will enslave you in the future if you don't have protection lols... (that was s true statement though! Eyes open)

[@spookywizard4980]

yeah the government's tanks will care about your puny pistol. sure.

[@renehollan7695]

Spooky Wizard You don't shoot at the tanks. You shoot the family members of the tank drivers.

[@kiwichem4336]

@@papaversomniferum5247 i mean this depends on the government

[@glenthemann]

you didnt lie, and i think this vid came in under a week from the last! love the idea, look forward to more unique glassware

[@joeyhinds6216]

Chock full of info as always. Glad to have you back Doug!

[@soullessone_edc6226]

The whole pulling vacuum from the sink I've never seen anything like that and I've got to say I was definitely impressed with that setup

[@djdrack4681]

I got an oldschool (50s-60s) set of glassware from a retired chemist that had a hobby lab at home as well. Much of the beakers or apparatuses are pre ground-glass joints/openings (meant to use rubber/cork). Interesting Items: - A whole vintage collection of various compounds/chemicals from some place in the 60s that was like Fischer/etc but apparently sold in smaller amounts cheap, and didn't care if it was also to kids (cuz one of brochures was marketed to the kid 'chemistry set' but they contained hazardous compounds lol - A Hoffman Apparatus: Its in pristine condition, but hasn't been used yet because I haven't found an alternative to platinum electrodes for the one side. - Interesting old-school long (24") pipettes with detachable bulbs but no removable heads. - Some of the simple distillation flasks w/ the integrated condensation at like 60deg angle of the neck. I was hoping to find time to start a YT series testing the existing large batch of old chemicals and/or repurposing them. I really like the DIY channels like this as that's my style, but I find a lot of the 'surplus' and 'post-dated' chems are super cheap, and while not production lab grade they can still be viable for many things in an amateur lab or re-purified (discarding the degraded %)

[@jermainerace4156]

Platinum electrodes are still readily available. United Nuclear carries them for ~25USD.

[@jermainerace4156]

Correction, 2 for 35USD, comes pre-fitted to rubber stoppers which you may have to contact them to make sure they are the right size.

[@plasticraincoat1]

LOVELY DEMO OF A BEAUTIFUL PEICE OF LABORATORY GLASSWARE

[@LiborTinka]

Thanks for explaining why citric acid is usually sold as mohoydrate. I was curious about this. And thanks for the detailed explanation of greasing joints!

[@sciencestararvinsinghk]

I'm so glad you started posting videos again. Also, where do you get your equipment? I would like to follow along in my makeshift lab

[@marinogarym]

Beautiful. I used to have one, also. One little problem, however: You are not supposed to have any liquid in the jacket of the drying chamber. Seems that some wound up in there, when you filled the flask thru the condenser. That's why the return tube is offset. Liquid in the vapor jacket cools the entire thing.

[@krisztianszirtes5414]

Doug, you could put a piece of hose on the outlet of the aspirator and lead it into the drain. It would get rid of the splashing noise. Aspirators have zero issue with an extention hose

[@roquri]

Amazing timing! I was just reading about one of these the other day when I was trying to find info on your reaction vessel. Could kind of visualize what it was, but there were no pictures, and I was curious since I had never heard of one before. Thanks.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

If the vacuum grease is insoluble in almost everything, how do you clean the glassware? BTW, you're using a water-powered vacuum pump to dehydrate a sample? :p

[@kevinbyrne4538]

Thanks for the reply!

[@DougsLab]

It's actually pretty soluble in a number of halogenated solvents as well. Chloroform/trichloroethylene/tetrachloroethylene does a decent job. You don't really need to clean all of it off though. I usually wash as normal and just give the joint a wipe before I stick it into the cabinet.

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

In our university lab we use acetic acid ethyle ester (sorry if that's not the correct name, directly translated from german.)

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

Pseudo Memes sounds about right English chemistry nomenclature is so whack, German makes it much more distinct. Ethyl acetate is the shortened form though, right?

[@liverpoolirish208]

This is a silicone grease. It's soluble in petroleum ether and a wide variety of relatively apolar solvents. I use actual fluorinated greases and we base bath the glassware. The grease doesn't dissolve but detaches as the glass underneath dissolves.

[@chempharmapat]

I still use the Abderhalden drying pistol (displayed above) today to meet my microscale drying needs. Cool tool!

[@rockyrivermushrooms529]

I enjoyed the video about specific glassware and its uses.

[@minipac2]

Very cool pistol!!! I also like this format, like Brian.

[@minipac2]

PS I took a guess that you'd be using acetone, without knowing it's boiling temp. I'm ever so pleased!

[@Mess-Lab-Kitchen-Show]

Doug: You know its kind of shaped like a pistol.... you might hold it like this" *whips out 9mm handgun to hammer home the point* haha

[@planetsoccer99]

So glad you're back!

[@loyaltyhubng3164]

Thanks for using citric monohydrate as sample. Great learning

[@ITWUT]

Great demo, thanks! Would love to see more demos of equipment and techniques

[@hardikmhatre7075]

Hey Doug's I am Hardik can we use water vapours instead of acetone vapour in the drying pistol ?? And nice to see you back Doug's you are a great chemistry educators

[@divitu]

Water boils at around 100 C so you could use it if that's the temperature you want. It seems like in this case, it would burn the citric acid.

[@verdatum]

I approve. I am constantly fascinated by glassware. I don't suppose you know any good sources that discuss them? I've found it very difficult to learn about this stuff as an outsider. The more obscure pieces, I mean.

[@buknolan]

Hi Doug. First of all, welcome back. Second of all, do you want 150g phthalic anhydride? Ive got no use and have to rid myself of it otherwise.

[@zubmit700]

Very interesting! This is going to be a good series.

[@nonohate]

Doug, where the fuck have you been, it's been too long, but it's great to see you back at the chemistry videos

[@gmglabs5395]

You should try drying oxalic acid using that! The reduced pressure would of course mean you could heat it at a lower temp and this avoid sublimation since at reduced pressure, oxalic acid generally sublimes at tempuratures just over 100C. Awesome video btw!

[@RaExpIn]

That's an interesting piece of glass ware! Nice video! :)

[@AltoidJTP]

Cool stuff :) Love chem history!

[@chemistryscience4320]

You've returned from the Grave :D !! I miss your videos !!

[@weldmaster80]

I love your stuff, maybe a better example would have been copper sulfate as it changes color a bit in it's anhydrous form. Just an idea. Love your videos.

[@jermainerace4156]

That's a good point.

[@196Stefan2]

This brings back sweet memories!

[@papaversomniferum5247]

I'm glad you are back! I'm wanting to learn chemistry, I bought a bunch of stuff I will probably never use in my beginner stage, I can refine gold and silver, but I want to learn how to make my own nitric acid and hcl acid and 20-30% h202 to do my experiments. Maybe one day. If anyone can help feel free to message me or refer me to videos textbooks documents etc THANKS!

[@papaversomniferum5247]

Steve Johnson lmao no, I got a lot of flack from everyone I know about nitric acid, since the first thing you google is "used for explosives" however no, I need all these chemicals to further refine precious metals and enter into platinum, palladium, rhodium iridium(though iridium not likely) refining. I need very strong acids and product to obtain a Higher purity. :) hope that clears it up lol

[@shonkysidewayssam6134]

I’m so glad your back!! :-) Nice pistol too..

[@andrewmiller3834]

How readily does the citric acid reabsorb moisture? It mustn't go fast based on the casual speed with which you disassembled the gun. Have a great day Doug!

[@lrmackmcbride7498]

This has been replaced by pid controlled water and oil baths. Connect a flask to a vaccum adapter. Then a male to male 75 degree adapter and another flask. Put the flask with the compound to be dehydrated in the pid controlled bath. Come back the next day. No flammable vapor.

[@wiliambanquiter8039]

92a1? Sweet! rail with the round trigger guard makes that one a personal favorite astheticly, night sights?

[@darianballard2074]

So glad your back !!

[@AtlasReburdened]

To answer your quandary, no, there's nothing that "specifically" requires that apparatus. All of it's functions can be achieved with an oil bath, PWM control of a heating element with feedback from temperature sensors, and a few pieces of common glassware. Fascinating apparatus though. You'll have something quite special if NK ever sneaks a nuke past out defenses and EMPs us back to the early industrial age, so there's that.

[@tracybowling97]

That was very interesting. Thanks for showing us!

[@scarpadog155]

it's particularly useful for drying and then taking the entire pistol (minus the condesor and boiling flask) into and out of an inert atmosphere glovebox without having to expose the material to the atmosphere. but you need a real vacuum and inert gas so as not to destroy the atmosphere in your glovebox when you open up the pistol inside the box.

[@jermainerace4156]

True enough, although I would point out you can do that with a modern desiccator as well.

[@dalitas]

doug: not many practical used of glassware... me: thinks of several boxes of glassware ive stashed in my parents attic on a fun note though, i managed to identify a large, weird piece of glassware ive owned for 5ys, apparently its a hoffman electrolysis apparatus, now i need another 5ys until i get to use it

[@alphastronghold4425]

0:42 -If you were to overlay it with a pistol. **literally proceeds to show an actual pistol*

[@elnombre91]

Does America use different glassware sizes? Over here it tends to go B24, 29, 34, 40... Never seen a 35 before. Interesting video though, I've seen drying pistols mentioned in papers but never knew what one actually looked like. Antiquated techniques can still be useful though, I used our soxhlet extractor a few times during my PhD.

[@lajoswinkler]

As with most things, USA hates world standards for some reason. American standard tapers are longer. They do fit into world standard ones, but parts stick out, or they sink too deep. World standard tapers (Normschliff NS, according to DIN and later ISO) has one called NS 34/35 which is the closest one to the one you mention.

[@minipac2]

Doug, what is your opinion on using vaseline as vacuum grease?

[@Nae_Ayy]

Minipac S I am not a chemist, nor have I ever done chemistry, but I am very fond of watching chemistry videos. A quick Google search will show you that Vaseline could only be used under certain conditions, and is not nearly as good of a grease as real vacuum grease is. From Wikipedia (I've put useful bits in bold) Petroleum jelly is a mixture of hydrocarbons, *having a melting point usually close to human body temperature, approximately 37 °C (99 °F).* [4] It is *flammable only when heated to liquid; then the fumes will light,* not the liquid itself, so a wick material like leaves, bark, or small twigs is needed to ignite petroleum jelly. It is colorless or has a pale yellow color (when not highly distilled), translucent, and devoid of taste and smell when pure. *It does not oxidize on exposure to the air and is not readily acted on by chemical reagents.* It is *insoluble in water.* It is *soluble in dichloromethane, chloroform, benzene, diethyl ether, carbon disulfide and oil of turpentine.* [1][5] I realize you probably just wanted a response from a semi-famous KZbinr, but in the small chance you are really looking for advice, I decided to help out.

[@peterciurea7771]

you should look online at wire glassware clips. Pretty easy to diy, and you can use then for the off sizes. You'll need a stiff wire

[@gabor_kov]

You said this is an outdated equipment. Just wondering what replaced this? Vacuum desiccators? This seems like a better option since you can heat up your compound.

[@DougsLab]

Mostly these fell out of favor with the invention of electronic temperature control. Back before electric hotplates and ovens, precise temperature control was difficult since you would usually heat with a flame. The vacuum is mostly a bonus.

[@TheBookDoctor]

Does the presence of fog on the inner wall of the dessicator serve as an indicator of when you're done? When the fog goes away, the sample is fully dehydrated?

[@DaffyDaffyDaffy33322]

Is your aspirator and condenser being ran off of the mains water supply or a recirculating pump? Is there a benefit to using the mains?

[@ScienceWithJames]

Do you have any use for anhydrous citric acid, or was that also just for the demonstration?

[@googleeatsdicks]

Thank you very much for the history lesson. I recently bought a very old Kipp's apparatus. It is too big to be for any good use in the home lab but I love historical lab equipment. We're still using these at my university to produce H2S for qualitative inorganic analysis because the chemicals are cheap and it is easy to operate.

[@colew.9771]

Hey Doug by any chance would you make a video showing how to make chlorohexidine?

[@DougsLab]

Maybe. That would involve quite a lot of videos. I'd have to do benzene -> chlorobenzene -> p-nitrochlorobenzene -> p-chloroaniline. I'd roast calcium cyanurate to calcium cyannamide, set that aside. I'd have to somehow find hexamethylenediamine which is a nylon 6-x monomer but otherwise difficult to prepare. The cyanamide and hexamethylenediamine would react to attach cyanogunnidine groups to either end of the amine, and p-chloroaniline would react with that to form Chlorhexidine. As for the hexamethylenediamine, the only way I can really think to do it in the lab without buying it is with suberic acid reacting with urea to form suberamide (Octan-1,8-diamide) and then running a Hoffmann on that to get hexamethylenediamine. I'm really not even sure that would work though. It can be made from furfural but that route requires large amounts of cyanide, which is also difficult to prepare.

[@elielromero]

hahaha the acetone!! that was fun.

[@mixolydian2010]

Love the video and looking forward to more from you.

[@NuttyGeek]

10:02 As far as there are several oppositely located orthogonal to the plane of the joint intersection hook-like branches you can use a rubber band to secure the joint. Disclaimer: While It looks like I am going to necropost, note the non-null possibility that the piece of advice may help someone :)

[@justusfelix2441]

High Quality Video!

[@RanjeetSingh-yo1jb]

Our company manufactures measuring cylinder of hexagonal base.

[@KowboyUSA]

Truly ingenious, indeed.

[@johnblacksuperchemist2556]

That is a WILD apparatus

[@notgood38]

That is the best grease in the business. A tube will last a lifetime

[@abs0lute-zer061]

I know this is a old video but I do have a question. Why do we need a boiling liquid in the jacket? Why not heat water around that temperature and keep it at that temperature and constantly run it through the apparatus?

[@jermainerace4156]

At one time it was not possible or convenient to control temperature like that. Boiling points however, are well known and reliable. Using a boiling point solves the problem of having to constantly fuss with the heat source.

[@beachboardfan9544]

15:30, what? does your vacuum system work off of the faucet!?

[@jermainerace4156]

Yes, sink powered aspirators are some pretty old technology.

[@erwinrommel9509]

Where did you get your drying pistol 🔫?

[@Rhodanide]

Guns and Chemistry. What more could you want?

[@Blinkwing]

0:40 That escalated quickly :D

[@DanyaSanMAMP]

*pulls out a gun. Ahhh… now we understand what else you use this glassware for… buzz on, fellow bee 🐝

[@3er24t4g1]

Can you make PCl3? Its a very nice compound (and by nice I mean a hound from hell).

[@jhyland87]

Im a little confused as to how your vacuum works with your sink.... But thats badass.

[@jamesg1367]

The vacuum device, called an aspirator or aspirator pump, uses the flow of water to create low pressure, thus drawing out the air. Explanations here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirator_(pump) and here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect

[@nicholas1053]

If using an aspirator or an electric vacuum pump couldn't you just ignore the desiccant? If you ran the aspirator constantly as if it were a vacuum distillation then unless you had a problem with your seal, awful vacuum pump, etc. the water vapor would be pulled out. It would be like a vacuum desiccator hooked up to something like a steam bath.

[@somerandomguy2205]

so a vacuum is needed to prevent breaking the apparatus due to too much pressure because the water in the citric acid evaporates?

[@andrewstone8999]

Reduces the temperature needed for dehydration.

[@bpark10001]

When you use an aspirator to make vacuum, the vacuum is contaminated with water vapor (vapor pressure at temperature of water in the aspirator). Isn't this higher then what CaCl2 can make? Doesn't re-opening valve to aspirator introduce water into the apparatus after the CaCL2 has done its work?

[@jermainerace4156]

How can a vacuum become contaminated when it's always being drawn down? The air in the line might become contaminated, but isn't it being blown out of the faucet?

[@bpark10001]

@@jermainerace4156 The vapor backstreams from the vacuum pump to the pistol. When pressure is low, each gas molecule is operating independently of the others (most of the collisions are with the vessel walls, not other molecules). Look up "molecular flow in high vacuum" for more. When pressure is high, the dominant interactions are between gas molecules (look up "viscous flow"). This "backstreaming" problem becomes dominant at high-vacuum regime, so much that the pump selection dominates the choice of pump.

[@Anthony-bz2xs]

Whats the drying differences between this and say, an oven?? Edit: Might have been cool to weigh then use the weight of water loss to estimate the average amount of dehydration

[@lajoswinkler]

There are things you can't dry in an oven because even the slightest overheating causes problems, such as drying proteins. That's the purpose of this apparatus. Cheap, reliable, extremely precise (using boiling azeotropes) drying unit that won't stop working like thermostats stop.

[@jermainerace4156]

It's also faster because you are using the vacuum increases vapor pressure of the thing you are trying to remove, and you can't always use an oven because it might always be water that you are trying to remove.

[@phonixsolomon6275]

I dont understand all the refluxing thing in this case. Isn't possible just to heat the glass at a constant temperature?

[@jermainerace4156]

It is not practical to try to manuall fuss with a heat source to a precise temperature like this without modern electronics. This device predates modern electronics and was meant to get around the problem.

[@eskee1]

You using this still?

[@chinnababubaggu6628]

nice, good Technic

[@BadPete81]

Nice system

[@liverpoolirish208]

That is not a fluorinated grease. It is a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane and silica.

[@b2manufacturing]

I can’t figure out why you need to turn on your water to get vacuum pressure🤔

[@jermainerace4156]

The aspirator works by pushing a stream of water through a venturi in which there is an orifice. Because of the venturi effect, the pressure at the orifice is reduced, which draws a vacuum. This is the same way that sink powered aquarium vacuums work.

[@zodd0001]

Which was the drying agent ?

[@jermainerace4156]

Left side.

[@Nae_Ayy]

When you brought that gun on screen I instantly knew you are Walter White.

[@oobermate]

*casually pulls out a pistol* Love it 😂

[@chrischo3919]

The inside of a 'male' joint is not greased. I think preloading the desiccant then putting them together and turning the jacket to grease it doesn't affect the desiccant or the seal. I don't think greasing it then locking the jacket in place with cat clips before scooping the citric acid in would destroy the seal either.

[@petetgraves322]

Dougs right to bear arms

[@markymark2782]

It's like a rotovap without the roto... Also without the pricetag!

[@geeder9086]

I didn't notice any serial number on that drying pistol -- LOL

[@AvianFlight]

Why Would 8 People Dislike This? Serious Question.

[@getmeoutofsanfrancisco9917]

A lot of people honestly just accidentally click the dislike button. Ive done it before, only to come back to a video and wonder why the hell the dislike button is blue.

[@RobertSzasz]

3d print a clip?

[@TheGayestPersononYouTube]

Glad to see your videos in my feed once again! You’re right that’s a cool piece of glass - informative too. So then what’s your favorite piece of glassware?

[@tmfan3888]

when u use tap water 2 pull a vacuum, y wont the water be sucked back into the metal pipe?

[@markzockerzwerg8997]

The water won't get sucked into the pipe. But what can happen: If you turn off the water while the apparatus is unsealed and under vacuum, some water will get sucked into your apparatus.

[@lajoswinkler]

It can happen if the water pressure falls down because, for example, someone else in the building opens the faucet. Happened to me once and I've lost an entire load of product. That's why it's good to have a Woulfe bottle or Büchner flask in the line - if the water surges back, it gets trapped.

[@stocklitv1371]

citric aced is made out of black mold...... can you show us this

[@GLITCH_-.-]

I always hated your vacuum system :P Could you put a chain on the faucet or something to reduce splashing noises?

[@alans7358]

You, sir, are prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

[@anorderedhole2197]

dang guns