Final answer:
To recover caffeine from crushed tablets, a detailed separation scheme can be followed. The process involves extraction, evaporation, and separation using solvents of different polarities.
Step-by-step explanation:
To recover caffeine from crushed tablets, a detailed separation scheme can be followed. Here is a step-by-step process:
- First, perform an extraction using a suitable solvent such as dichloromethane or ethyl acetate. This will extract the caffeine from the crushed tablets.
- Next, evaporate the solvent to obtain a solid residue containing the caffeine.
- Then, dissolve the solid residue in a small amount of water and add a nonpolar solvent like diethyl ether.
- Shake the mixture vigorously to separate the caffeine into the nonpolar phase.
- Allow the two phases to separate, and then carefully separate the nonpolar phase containing the caffeine.
- Finally, evaporate the nonpolar solvent to obtain pure caffeine as a solid.
This separation scheme utilizes the differences in solubility and polarity to isolate caffeine from the crushed tablets.