MELTING POINT DETERMINATION AND PURIFICATION BY SUBLIMATION OF

BENZOIC ACID
Catherine Albao, Aadritch Arsen Ambrosio, Shiela Marie Arrojo, Ira Sheinel Bascuguin, Jan
Hermieson Bustamante, John Reden Capinig
Group 1 2G Pharmacy Organic Chemistry Laboratory
ABSTRACT
In this experiment sublimation was used to purify mixtures. The compound that we used to perform this experiment
was impure benzoic acid. The objective of this experiment is to purify benzoic acid through sublimation, compute
for its percentage recovery and compare its purified substance with a s standard to determine its melting
point. After the heating process, the product obtained in the form of crystals is called the sublimate. The weight of the
impure benzoic acid from the sublimate obtained gave a lot of difference from 5.0 g to 0.2 g. After the purification of
the impure benzoic acid, the sublimate together with the pure benzoic acid was conducted to melting point
determination through oil bath. The oil bath was used rather than the most commonly used water bath due to its
ability to measure temperature even beyond 100C. As it was seen in the results for the melting point determination,
the sublimate started to melt at 117C and stopped melting at 119C while the pure benzoic acid started to melt as
121C and stopped melting at 122C. The calculated percentage recovery was 0.04%.

INTRODUCTION
Sublimation is the transition of a
substance directly from solid to the gas
phase without passing through the
intermediate liquid phase. In this
experiment, the technique we used to purify
compounds was sublimation [1]. The process
of sublimation in this experiment is used to
purify the impure benzoic acid. The
impurities in the benzoic acid have amino
compounds that are present in a larger
extent and must be removed because of
phenyl and benzyl compounds that seriously
affect the product [3]. Some solids can easily
change into vapors (volatilization); these
vapors (instead of condensing into a liquid and the
liquid freezing back to the solid) can
sublime, that is, the vapors form a solid
without going through the liquid state [2].
This experiment aims to (1) purify the
impure benzoic acid by the process of sublimation
and (2) to determine the melting point of the
sublimate and the pure benzoic acid through
the use of oil bath. (3) To calculate the
percentage recovery.
EXPERIMENTAL
A. Compound/s tested

The compounds tested were

impure benzoic acid, impure benzoic
acid sublimate and pure benzoic acid.
Benzoic acid, C7H6O2 (or
C6H5COOH), is a colorless crystalline
solid and a simple aromatic carboxylic
acid. The name is derived from gum
benzoin, which was for a long time its
only known source. Benzoic acid
occurs naturally in many plants and it
serves as an intermediate in the
biosynthesis of many secondary
metabolites. Salts of benzoic acid are
used as food preservatives and
benzoic acid is an important precursor
for the industrial synthesis of many
other organic substances. The salts
and esters of benzoic acid are known
as benzoates. [4]
B. Procedure
1. Sublimation
In the sublimation setup, we used
a tared watch glass, a hot plate, a
perforated filter paper, a tissue paper,
a masking and an evaporating dish.
This setup is used for the
purification of the impure benzoic acid.

5 grams of impure benzoic acid was

placed in an evaporating dish. The
dish was covered with a perforated
filter paper. After covering it with a
perforated filter paper, an inverted
pre-weighed watch glass was placed
for the collection of the sublimate. It
was sealed with masking tape. During
heating on the hot plate, enough
tissue paper was place on the top of
the watch glass and was continuously
moistened with water for about 10-15
minutes until most of the sample had
vaporized. The heating was stopped
and set-up was cooled at room
temperature. After cooling, the tared
glass was carefully inverted. All the
sublimate including the crystals
adhering the perforated filter paper
was collected and weighed.
2. Melting Point Determination
The collected 0.2 g of sublimate
was grounded into a fine powder with
the use of a mortar and pestle. The
capillary tube was sealed on one end
by the use of a Bunsen burner. The
sublimate which is the pure benzoic
acid, was then placed in a 3-5 mm
capillary tube. On the same hand, the
impure benzoic acid was then also
placed in a 3-5 mm capillary tube. The
capillary tube was then attached to a
thermometer. Copper wires were used
to tie the two capillary tubes together
with the thermometer. The mercury
bulb of the thermometer was aligned
in the closed end of the capillary tube.
Then the capillary tube was immersed
in an oil bath and was heated with
constant stirring. The temperature
was noted at which the sublimate
stared to melt and when it is
completely melted. Same thing with
the impure benzoic acid. The
temperatures at which it started and

at which it is completely melted were

also noted. The results were compared
after.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 1

Figure 2

The process of sublimation was used

to purify the impure benzoic acid [Figure 1] .
The impure benzoic acid sample was put into
a watch glass covered with perforated filter
paper. The set-up was then heated to obtain
a product, which was the sublimate. The
weight of the sublimate (0.200g) [Figure 2]
was then used to calculate the percentage
recovery.
The melting point of a substance is the
temperature in which it changes from a solid
state to a liquid state. Impurities in a
substance can cause a distinct change in its
melting point. That is why determining a
substances melting point is essential in this
experiment because the substances used
were that of a pure sample and an impure
one. [5]
Percentage Recovery:
(Pure/Impure) x 100%
(0.2/5.0) x 100% = 0.04%

Table 1. Weight & Melting Point comparison

and Percentage recovery of Benzoic acid
Weight of impure benzoic
acid
Weight of the watch glass
+ sublimate
Weight of the watch glass
(empty)
Weight of the sublimate
Percentage recovery
Melting point of benzoic
acid
Melting point of pure
benzoic

5.0 g
102.2 g
102.0 g
0.2 g
0.04%
117C
121C

REFERENCES
[1] Wikipedia, Sublimation (phase
transition).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublimation_(p
hase_transition) 09/18/15

[2] Steven Rafael Maningas, Formal Report

Chemistry Sublimation.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/62316687/For
mal-Report-Chemistry-Sublimation 08/15/11
[3] Emilyn Millares, Experiment 3Sublimation and Melting Point Determination.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/62316687/For
mal-Report-Chemistry-Sublimation 09/20/11
[4] Wikipedia, Benzoic Acid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzoic_acid
07/14/15
[5] Alfonso Calimag, Sublimation and Melting
Point Determination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzoic_acid
10/30/14