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cbryant
New Contributor

Needing help determining water content of MEK/water azeotrope

I have collected MEK/water distillate into a decanter. I have two phases. The bottoms (water-rich) and the top (MEK-rich). I am needing to reuse the reclaimed solvent to make a lacquer, but having difficulty determining what percentage of water I have in either phase. General rules or calculations that could be performed on paper would be ideal; but if I have to test for it analytically, I have a GC and a Karl Fischer available. Neither are set-up to detect MEK or high water percentages at the moment. I am not concerned with separating the water from the MEK, but I do need to know volumes and percentages in my distillate because the solvent/solid ratio in my lacquer is crucial to my process. My current calculations are based on the use of pure MEK in the lacquer, but using pure MEK for each batch is not economical and I need a way to reclaim the solvent and adjust the quantity to account for the water saturating it, as well as, how much original solvent I may have lost to the slurry water. Any advice would be appreciated.

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