440. To Re-Distill and Purify Benzine

440. To Re-Distill and Purify Benzine that has been used for Cleaning Kid Gloves. If the operation of distilling the benzine is disagreeable to the glove maker, he can have it purified at the apothecary's or chemist's. It is, however, an operation which he can readily perform himself

The apparatus is neither complicated nor expensive. A small wooden pail, such as is used in every establishment, is furnished with two holes. The first of these is drilled near the upper margin of the pail, so that, when the pail is filled with water, the water runs out through the hole, until the surface of the water within the pail is on a level with the lowest portion of the hole, that is to say, just below the upper margin of the vessel.

On the opposite side of the pail another hole is made, but this time near its bottom, so that water would run through this hole, until the surplus of the contained water was within a short distance of the bottom.

A leaden tube, the thickness of which equals the diameter of the hole, is bent so as to form a distilling worm, the upper end of which is inserted into the upper opening, and the lower end into the lower hole.

The tube is tightly inserted into both holes, so that no water can run through the space between the tube and the hole.

The pail is then filled with cold water.

The upper and lower ends of the leaden tube must project a little beyond the outer surface of the pail - perhaps two inches.

The lower end is bent downward a little. The upper end is a little enlarged, so that the tube forms a sort of funnel above.

In this is inserted a glass retort, conveniently fixed in a holder.

The space between the neck of the retort and the enlarged end of the leaden tube is conveniently filled with moistened cotton, so that no vapors can escape through it.

It is a good plan to employ a glass retort with a tube, so that any fluid can be poured into it when the apparatus is already fixed.

Having placed the retort on a vapor bath, where it can be heated at 212° Fahr., the neck of the retort is connected with the worm, as above mentioned, and the pail filled up with cold water. The retort is then filled with the impure benzine or petroleum essence which has been used in washing gloves.

After pouring in the benzine, the tube of the retort is closed by a stopper, and then the apparatus is completed by a bottle placed under the lower end of the leaden tube, which projects beyond the outer surface of the pail, so that the liquid running down this flows directly into the bottle.

The vapor bath is now heated, the retort soon becomes warm, and the volatile liquid begins to distill over, either quickly or slowly, according to the way in which the heating process is conducted.

The vapor of the hydrocarbon condenses in the worm, and a stream of liquid flows out of its mouth. In a short time there remains behind in the retort only the grease which the benzine has extracted from the gloves.