First time running a short path distillation setup. Comments and Suggestions Please!

I didn’t notice the collapsing but I really wasn’t looking for it either. I just looked at the vacuum level. I might looking into this next run

Thanks @gonzo for the heads up on the thicker tubing. I might just call across international cause the stuff they sent with my vacuum oven is seriously thick too.

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That’s very soon. I just wanted to learn the basics before attempting full wide bore but the reason I got the bellow hose and all the kf25 fittings and stuff cause that’s the end goal.

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It doesn’t look it but the ideal one is 3/8" ID. The phat edge plays tricks on your mind. If I went to 1/2" I would have needed new glass and such but eventually I want to have my longer run be all kf style tubing.

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Yeah. I didn’t notice any problems with mine at all but like I said. I really didn’t look. Don’t know what 8mm In inches but my system got under 100 microns which is pretty low for gl fittings.

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What are the names/purposes of the two attachments here?

It looks like the left one allows for control of vac level. I can see the right one is exhaust, but what is the piece converting the KF25 connector to something that can attach to that hose?

The left which is the in is a right angle vacuum valve. The right on top of the kf25 is vacuum pump mist filter with a normal garden hose taped to help with the smoke. The mist filter did shit to stop the smoke.

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Would you say the right angle valve is needed? Do you not run the vac at full power throughout the process?

Also do you use o-rings at all the KF25 joints or are clamps alone enough to maintain the seal?

Tou need a way to break vac

If you have ever pulled oil from your pump to your oven you will know why I have the vacuum shut off valve.

It’s not to break vacuum like @Demontrich stated. It’s to shut the vacuum pressure off before I do break vacuum so there isn’t a sudden back flow of vacuum pump oil into my system.

Also the one was bought with the intentions of going to a dual pump setup where each side will have to be closed off.

Yes. There are viton O-ring gaskets in each clamp you see on my setup.

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Does each clamp require a gasket for each side or do you use something like this: Centering Ring KF 25 With Viton® O-Ring, KF 25 (NW 25), Aluminum, The centering ring contains a rubber elastomeric o-ring. Those are also recognized as NW10, NW16, NW25, NW40, or KF-10 KF-16, KF-25, KF-40 and KF-50

Sorry for all the intricate follow up questions, but not having all the pieces in front of me makes it difficult to tell exactly what I’ll need.

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Yes those are exactly what is used inside the clamp.

And no worries about the questions. That’s why I made the thread. To answer these types of questions.

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Great point @Killa12345
Need to install a valve now in my vac rail

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I had originally set out to use something like this. But I really thought everything was janky so I upgraded to all kf25 stuff.

But origanally I was going to use this. Now this has been regulated to my Büchner funnel manifold for running multiple funnels at once.

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have you found yourself utilizing the shutoff valve regularly?

thats the first thing i do in my shut down process…so yes. I close the vacuum valve, then turn off the mantle heat, then stop the stir bar. Then break vacuum.

None of this stuff is needed…i think its just safer. I see tons of companies out there selling basic systems with no vacuum valve or vacuum vent. You can simply unscrew a GL fitting and that will break vacuum.

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A few weeks ago, a vac oven shot down procedure was posted as a user backfired his oven with vac oil as he didnt block off the vac

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i didnt post it then but this happened in the first oven i owned too. I know the feeling. I no longer have that oven but it could have been also the fact that i had my vacuum pump higher than my oven or didnt shut the valve even though the oven had a big warning sticker saying never shut down the pump without closing the valve…

It was the first few times messing with the oven…didnt do that…saw vac oil going from my pump into my oven. Lesson learned!

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You know what, now that I think about it we had some issues with a mysterious smelly gunk appearing in the line out of our vac oven. Makes me think that was almost certainly pump oil. We also had our pump elevated above the oven. Good to know about proper procedure re: closing valve before shutting the pump.

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I doubt its gravity at work here…

although I suppose elevating your pump could have been a contributing factor.

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i figured that out the hard way…thats why i never run a vacuum pump without a way of shutting it down.

I’d about 100% say without a doubt that the vacuum in the oven pulled the oil straight in the oven.

I don’t know if the short path has the vacuum volume say an oven has. But I didn’t want to risk anything for such a small cost.

Edit. I’m not saying my way is right either. This is my first time running a short path. I’m no expert. I just saw what a lot of these more expensive priced systems had and thought if I could implement something similar in my budget. Well then I was gonna try.

Please just take this thread as a learning experience rather than a way of doing something or not doing something.

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