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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Organic Chemistry Forum for Graduate Students and Professionals => Topic started by: Elan on November 21, 2014, 09:33:21 PM

Title: Combining column fractions
Post by: Elan on November 21, 2014, 09:33:21 PM
Does anyone have any creative ways of manually combining fractions without getting solvent on your hands/gloves?

This is currently how I do it: I dump my fractions into a funnel/flask five at a time and squirt some EtOAc into each one (the fractions are in my left hand and the EtOAc is in my right). After rinsing and pouring them into the flask five times, I squirt EtOAc over the outsides and set them upside down to dry.

This method often leaves my hands exposed to some ethyl acetate (or, more annoyingly, DCM)

All input is appreciated :)
Title: Re: Combining column fractions
Post by: baum0372 on November 26, 2014, 12:25:43 PM
I dump the fractions one at a time into the flask to combine them and just make sure to rub the rim of the test tube on the edge of the flask I am transferring to for 2-3 seconds.  To get the remaining traces of solution, I'll put all the tubes back into the rack and squirt a little liquid into the first tube, then transfer that liquid tube to tube until I reach my last fraction, then add that to the flask.

You just have to be patient (which for most chemists I think is asking for a lot, myself included).