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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: awss on July 10, 2021, 10:49:49 AM

Title: How to isolate lactose from water with lactose
Post by: awss on July 10, 2021, 10:49:49 AM

I have a job where I have to separate all the components of whole milk. I am in the last step, I have already separated all the other components of the milk, and I have a mixture of water with lactose. What is the best way to isolate the lactose?

Title: Re: How to isolate lactose from water with lactose
Post by: Babcock_Hall on July 10, 2021, 10:54:55 AM

What are your thoughts?

Title: Re: How to isolate lactose from water with lactose
Post by: awss on July 10, 2021, 11:17:30 AM

I could heat the solution, add ethanol and then filter it. Later, I would let it heat in the sun, so that alcohol evaporates and lactose crystalizes. I know it would work because I have seen it in videos but I don't know how to explain why it works.

Title: Re: How to isolate lactose from water with lactose
Post by: jeffmoonchop on July 11, 2021, 12:31:18 PM

If you let the ethanol evaporate, aren't you just putting the system back to its original form, i.e. dissolved in water? Why do you need to heat it before you add ethanol? Also, be careful with how you heat sugars, they can degrade.