Design and Fabrication of Modified Condensers for Optimum Extraction of Dyes

Abstract

Condenser is a device designed to separate one or more components of a vapour mixture by reducing a gas or vapour to its liquid form. This study was undertaken with a view of investigating the design and performance analysis of outer jacket Allihn and Graham glass condensers on extraction of natural dye. AutoCAD design tool was used in designing Allihn and Graham condensers, varying the number of bulbs from one to ten (1-10) on the outer jacket. Allihn and Graham are commonly used heat exchangers (Apparatus) in teaching and research laboratories. They are used in reflux reactions, distillation of liquid mixtures and extraction of important organic compounds. Forty assorted condensers were designed with different number of bulbs on their outer jacket in other to increase the surface area. Twenty (20) assorted pieces of each type “As†and “Bs†of these modified structures of Allihn and Graham condensing models were fabricated. The performance of these condensers was evaluated using extraction procedures involving leaves of lawsonia inermis (natural dye) with acetone as solvent. The result showed that the highest yield of crude extracts was (43.49%) for condensing models with 7 bulbs in types “As†Graham and the type “Bs†model with 41.36% yield on extraction respectively. Allihn type “Bs†model with 7 bulbs also gave a yield of 39.99% while the Allihn “As†model was 39.95%. This implies that condensing models with 7 bulbs on outer jacket of Graham are more efficient for extraction and are better than the Allihn which used in refluxes reactions.