How to make benzene

TL;DR

Benzene, a natural component of crude oil, can be made from sodium benzoate through a chemical process involving base and heat.

Transcript

Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid and it's actually a natural component of crude oil. The main use of benzene is as a chemical precursor for things such as nitrobenzene, which I will show how to make in another video or for things like styrene which are used to make polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam. In this video we're going to... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛢️ Benzene is a chemical compound found naturally in crude oil.
• 😋 Sodium benzoate, a food additive, can be used to produce benzene through a chemical reaction involving base and heat.
• 😍 The process of making benzene involves crushing sodium benzoate and sodium hydroxide, mixing them together, distilling the mixture, washing with water, drying with calcium chloride, and finally, conducting a final distillation to obtain pure benzene.
• ❓ Benzene is widely used as a precursor for various chemicals and products.
• ❓ The experiment yielded a 70% yield of benzene.
• 😋 The combination of sodium benzoate and CO2 in benzene makes it a safe food preservative.
• 💁 Benzene is a carcinogen when in its pure form.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the main uses of benzene?

Benzene is primarily used as a precursor for chemicals like nitrobenzene and styrene, which are used in the production of various products such as polystyrene and Styrofoam.

Q: How is benzene made from sodium benzoate?

Sodium benzoate, a food additive, contains a CO2 molecule. By using base and heat, the CO2 is removed, resulting in the production of benzene.

Q: Is sodium benzoate safe for consumption?

Sodium benzoate, when combined with the CO2 molecule, is considered a safe food preservative. However, benzene alone is a carcinogen.

Q: What is the yield of benzene obtained in the experiment?

The experiment yielded approximately 43 milliliters of benzene, which corresponds to a 70% yield.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Benzene, a colorless and flammable liquid, is commonly used as a chemical precursor for products like nitrobenzene and styrene.

• Sodium benzoate, a food additive, can be used to make benzene by removing the CO2 molecule through the use of base and heat.

• The process involves crushing sodium benzoate and sodium hydroxide, mixing them together, distilling the mixture, washing with water, drying with calcium chloride, and finally, distilling to obtain pure benzene.