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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: tylervitale on March 30, 2010, 04:26:00 PM

Title: Milk Chemistry
Post by: tylervitale on March 30, 2010, 04:26:00 PM

Hi! I read an experiment online about the isolation of 3 chemicals from milk.
casein, albumin, and lactose. It said you had to heat the milk to simmering, then add a certain amount of acetic acid. the casein will then precipitate, and then calcium carbonate is added to the whey, to neutralize the remaining acid. the whey is brought to a boil, then albumin should precipitate out. finally, ethanol is added to the final solution, and then put into a centrifuge. as the solution cools, lactose should form.
I got the casein to precipitate, but after that, It gets pretty vague... how much calcium carbonate do I add? and after it boils, what do I look for? can the ethanol be any kind? please help :-[

Title: Re: Milk Chemistry
Post by: MOTOBALL on April 04, 2010, 02:07:12 PM

Add aliquots (~1 gm) of CaCO3 until no effervescence of CO2 is obtained, check pH with pH paper/meter to test for neutrality. 

Filter off any xs carbonate and proceed as directed.

Ethanol is ethanol is ethanol---except that lab. EtOH is usually "denatured" i.e. rendered undrinkable by the adition of a few % of MeOH/i-PrOH etc.  These additives should have no effect on the solubility/insolubility of lactose.

Good Luck !!