Re: [CH] Boiling and evaporation
kgbenson@mindspring.com
Fri, 17 Aug 2001 12:02:11 -0400
>Go boil some very salty water in a pot with a lid.
>Allow some of the steam to condense on the lid.
> Taste the condensed liquid.
The salt you are tasting the salt that has splashed up to the lid from the boiling salt water. if you were to capture the vapor, and condense it without splash it would be very nearly pure - this is simply how distillation works.
>I suspect it would be the same with capsaicin.
All depends on the boiling point of the material, or the relative ability of the materials to evaporate. Could both evaporate? Yes, but the one with the lower boiling point will usually leave in greater quantities, leaving behind a higher proportion of the subtance with the higher boiling point. The problem ith the saline analagy is that NaCl is a solid, and has a ridiculously high melting, sublimation and boiling point, so it is relatively easy to purify water this way. Organic solutions, where the compounds have more similar boiling points, and where both substances are liquids, yeild far less pure distillates.
Now here's my question for the group. I realize that soil, water, sun exposure and a whole host of environmental and cultural practices will change the answer to the following question - but, how many/what is the weight, of the total crop of a well grown Red Savina Hab plant?
Keith