Extraction of acetylsalicylic acid from Aspirin tablets

Nile Red has a very well made video on the extraction of acetylsalicylic acid from aspirin tablets. In it, he begins by breaking apart the tablets and mixing mixing them with acetone, then filters the mixture and rotovapping the acetylsalicylic acid from it. I don't have access to a rotovap, and I found that there are ingredients such as propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol. These compounds are soluble in acetone and subsequently would contaminate the product if they were just left in the solution. My solution is to saturate the acetone with the acetylsalicylic acid, then crash it out by dropping the solution into water. The propylene glycol and PEG are miscible with water so they should come out with washing of the acetylsalicylic acid crystals.



After crushing the tablets and mixing them with acetone I crashed the acetylsalicylic acid from the solution by mixing with equal parts water.
After letting the solution stand the product crystallized out and I was ready to vacuum filter.


 acetylsalicylic acid in buchner funnel after filtering and washing with water. 


After drying in the filter I transferred it to an evaporating dish to allow it to dry further. 

Cleaned product in evaporating dish
There is a theoretical yield of 162.5 grams of acetylsalicylic acid. I will repeat this extraction many more times. 


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