Making Alcohol Jelly (from Calcium Acetate)

TL;DR

Learn how to create a jelly-like substance called jellied alcohol by combining alcohol and calcium acetate, which can be used for cooking or for fun experiments.

Transcript

jellied alcohol is the semi-solid combination of an alcohol with calcium acetate when the liquid alcohol is combined with the solid calcium acetate it forms a semi solid jelly-like substance the semi solid gel is actually sold commercially as something called sterno and it comes in little containers that can be used in portable stoves you're more t... Read More

Key Insights

• 😇 Jellied alcohol is made by combining alcohol and calcium acetate, resulting in a semi-solid gel-like substance.
• 😇 The gel forms because calcium acetate is soluble in water but less soluble in alcohol, causing it to crash out of the solution.
• 🍃 The burning of jellied alcohol leaves behind calcium carbonate and acetone.
• 👁️‍🗨️ The presence of calcium carbonate can be confirmed by observing bubbling when hydrochloric acid is added.
• 💁 Jellied alcohol can be formed with various alcohols, but caution should be exercised with toxic alcohols like methanol.
• 🪼 Jellied alcohol can be used for cooking or for fun experiments, like juggling the fireball (with caution).
• 😒 The jellied alcohol experiment can be stored in a ziplock bag for future use.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is jellied alcohol made?

Jellied alcohol is made by combining alcohol (such as isopropyl alcohol) with calcium acetate. The calcium acetate is dissolved in water, creating a fully saturated solution, which is then poured into the alcohol to form the jelly-like substance.

Q: Can any alcohol be used to make jellied alcohol?

Yes, any alcohol can be used to make jellied alcohol as long as it doesn't contain too much water. Common options include isopropyl alcohol, methanol, and ethanol.

Q: What is the purpose of the calcium acetate in jellied alcohol?

Calcium acetate is used to create the semi-solid gel-like texture of jellied alcohol. It is not chemically reacting with the alcohol; rather, the calcium acetate particles disperse in the alcohol-water mixture, resulting in a uniform mixture of solid and liquid.

Q: Is jellied alcohol flammable?

Yes, jellied alcohol is flammable. When lit on fire, the alcohol component burns, and the heat causes the calcium acetate to break down into calcium carbonate and acetone, which contribute to the fire.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jellied alcohol is a semi-solid jelly-like substance formed by combining alcohol with calcium acetate.

• By creating a fully saturated solution of calcium acetate in water and pouring it into alcohol, the gel-like substance is formed.

• The jellied alcohol can be lit on fire, burning the alcohol and leaving behind calcium carbonate.