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Here's a tip I learned from the Jasti Lab at BU (now out in the pacwest @ University of Oregon). If you don't have a walk-in hood for safe storage of silica gel, put your silica gel on tap in a standard chemistry hood. Commonly, you'll find drums resting in the corners of labs, which can be dangerous if you don't have protective masks or disturb the silica gel too much. This method will allow you to put the drum in an unused hood (only takes up half of a hood, actually) and dispense it easily and safely.
Here's a tip I learned from the Jasti Lab at BU (now out in the pacwest @ University of Oregon). If you don't have a walk-in hood for safe storage of silica gel, put your silica gel on tap in a standard chemistry hood. Commonly, you'll find drums resting in the corners of labs, which can be dangerous if you don't have protective masks or disturb the silica gel too much. This method will allow you to put the drum in an unused hood (only takes up half of a hood, actually) and dispense it easily and safely.
- Drum lid, plastic screwable fitting, rubber plumbing septum, and a plastic valve. All parts can be bought for < $15 at in the plumbing section of your local hardware store. Drill a hole in the lid and fit with plastic screwable fitting.
- The plastic septa will hopefully absorb the torque from the valve when opening preventing rupture of the relatively week plastic lid.
- Screw this set-up back onto the silica gel drum.
- Find a sturdy platform to mount the apparatus onto. We found a ridiculously sturdy aluminum stand that was collecting dust around the department, which the UF-chemistry machine shop drilled a hole in for us.
- PRO-NOTE: don't throw away the drum's metal sealing ring. you gotta put this back on to properly seal the lid and drum.
- Grab a drill and throw a little air hole in the top of 'dat drum. That's pretty much it! Grab a transfer-container and a powder funnel and start purifying those organic molecules worry free! Happy separating boys and girls!
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