Purification

PURIFICATION

In order to purify 1:4-dioxan,
first you add a tenth of its volume
of 14% hydrochloric acid
and reflux it overnight
whilst steadily bubbling through it
a slow stream of nitrogen
Next morning you cool it down
and shake it up with KOH
until no more pellets will dissolve
Having removed the aqueous layer,
to dry it out further,
you leave it to stand
over fresh KOH
for fully twenty-four hours
Then you reflux it once more
over excess sodium
overnight
and finally you distill it
from sodium
Its boiling point
at 760mm of mercury pressure
is 101 degrees C
Store it out of contact with air

Other things
are not
so easily
purified
Take Diana's love for instance
Lack of air only stifles it
and it can't be refluxed
for it doesn't always boil
at an even temperature

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 1st January 1972

Publications

1993 Mobius (MI, USA)
1998 Snakeskin (Internet)