Diethyl Ether and Heptane from Starting Fluid | Obtaining Lab Solvents (episode 1)

Duration: 3:52

One of the most useful things you can have in your chemistry arsenal is a solvent that doesn't dissolve in water and evaporates away relatively quickly. In this video, we will be separating not one, but TWO such solvents from cheap and readily-available engine starting fluid: diethyl ether and heptane. Best of all: getting the ether in this way is MUCH cheaper than simply buying it, and it's much easier than making it via the sulfuric acid-ethanol process! Want to donate and support my work? Check out the links below to help: https://paypal.me/labcoatz?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US https://www.patreon.com/LabCoatz Disclaimer: I am not the first person to bring up the viability of obtaining ether in this way. The credit for this idea goes to Nurdrage.