RECOVERY WAST ETHANOL AND FORMOL REUSE GENERATED IN ZOOLICAL LABORATORIES.

Abstract

This work presents developing processes for the recovery formalin and ethanol residues generated in laboratories. Disposal formaldehyde in unknown concentration and ethanol residue 70 ºGL were collected in the zoological conservation laboratory. A simple distillation process for the purification and recovery formalin solution was used. Concerning ethanol recovery, the fractional process distillation, azeotropic distillation and extractive distillation were used. The quantification collected formalin residue and formaldehyde solution obtained after distillation was carried out by iodometry, which was found to be a very efficient and safe method. The alcoholic content collected ethanol samples was measured by using a calibrated densitometer. The formaldehyde concentration found in the residue was 1.82% m/v and in the recovered solution it was 2.65% m/v. The maximum alcoholic content obtained in the ethanol recovery was 91,3 ºINPM, from tests performed on cars, the recovered ethanol showed signs being a efficient fuel, if approved after further testing may be reused in this function, in addition to being reused by the generator laboratory. All distillation processes have proved to be efficient in the recovery and purification this residues, resulting in a decrease in the volume residue and in the cost buying new reagents. The new project a larger scale simple distiller is in progress to recover higher amounts of formalin.

Keywords

• formalin
• ethanol
• distillation
• residues