Extraction
Bartolome, Nikki
Belmonte, Dhonna
Bolusan, Charmaine
Bona, Joyce
Boy, Ma. Janelle Alexandra
I.Abstract
Caffeine, most commonly found in coffee and tea, was extracted from tea leaves using Liquid-Liquid Extraction. The dried tea
leaves used were not herbal or green tea. The tea leaves, weighing 23.3 grams were returned to the tea bags and was placed
in hot water containing dissolved sodium carbonate and the extract was removed. To retrieve caffeine from the extract,
Multiple Extraction was used. The extract was placed in a separatory funnel containing 20 mL dichloromethane. It was swirled
and put to rest until the visibility of two layers occurred, the aqueous layer above and the organic layer below. The organic
layer was then mixed and sodium sulfate was added. It was later decanted onto an evaporating dish to let it evaporate into
dryness. The residue weighed was 1.2 grams. The percentage yield indicated that there is a small amount of caffeine found
from the tea leaves.
II.Introduction
Caffeine, or 1,3,7 – trimethylxanthine, is a that the solute would be mixed with one of the solvents
feebly basic bitter crystalline compound, C8H10N402, that are mixed together. The two types of this extraction
which is helpful for cardiac and respiratory stimulation, is Simple and Multiple Extraction. In this experiment,
and a diuretic effect. It dichloromethane served as an organic solvent since it
is found in coffee, guaraná, mate, tea, and was immiscible with water. In preparing an extraction
yoco. Tea and coffee are more consumed worldwide set-up the following should be taken into consideration:
because it can relieve strain and fatigue. To be able to extraction methods, volume of extraction solvent, getting
extract caffeine, liquid-liquid extraction is used. Liquid- good separation, and saving the right layer. The
liquid extraction is a separation technique used to objectives for conducting the experiment were to
separate an organic substance from a mixture. It compare single and multiple extraction of caffeine from
involves the presence of solvents that are immiscible to dried tea leaves and to calculate the percentage yield of
each other and a solute. The principle of this method is caffeine for both extraction procedures.
III.Experimental Procedure
In an Erlenmeyer flask, 4.4 g of anhydrous sodium After a minute, the opening above the funnel was opened
carbonate was placed and 100 ml of distilled water was to release the pressure inside.
added. It was heated in water until the solid dissolved. The mixture was put to rest until two layers were visible.
After heating, the 10 g of tea bags previously weighed The organic layer was placed in a clean Erlenmeyer flask
was added to the heated mixture which was covered and while the aqueous layer was discarded. All the organic
was again heated for 10 minutes on a low flame. The layer extracts were combined. It was then transferred to
teabags were removed and the liquid was squeezed by an Erlenmeyer flask containing half a spatula of
pressing the it against the side of the flask with the aid anhydrous sodium sulfate and decanted onto a tared
of a glass rod. To get the extract, the teabags were evaporating dish. After it evaporated into dryness, the
squeezed by hand. Using Multiple Extraction, residue was weighed and the percentage yield of the
the aqueous solution retrieved from the tea bags were caffeine was calculated.
extracted three times with 20 ml of dichloromethane
each time in a separatory funnel. For 2 minutes, the
funnel containing the mixture was swirled.
IV.Results and Discussion Weight of Caffeine
Weight of tea leaves used 1.2 grams
23.3 grams
Percentage Yield (% Crude Caffeine)
Weight of evaporating dish + caffeine 5.15%
119.8 grams
% Crude caffeine = 1.2 grams x 100
Weight of empty evaporating dish 23.3 grams
118.6 grams = 0.051502145 x 100
= 5.15 %
mixed together, the caffeine was brought over from the
aqueous layer to the organic layer. Through an emulsion
layer, the two layers come into contact. An emulsion
layer is a suspension of insoluble droplets of one liquid in
another liquid. This was prevented by gently swirling the
funnel and letting it rest for about 2 minutes. This was
repeated three times because the type of extraction used
was Multiple extraction.
The ability of the extraction solvent to remove a solute
from another solvent is determined by the partition
caffeine coefficient (K) of the solute:
The teabags were heated in hot water containing K = concentration of solute in the extraction solvent
dissolved anhydrous sodium carbonate. This procedure concentration of solute in another solvent
was significant to remove any impurities that were
present such as tannins. In the experiment conducted, the partition coefficient
would be the following equation:
In the experiment, 4.4 grams of anhydrous sodium
carbonate was dissolved in water to remove the K = [caffeine] DCM
impurities.
[caffeine] water
Anhydrous sodium carbonate
After doing the process, all the organic layers were
In Liquid-liquid extraction, dichloromethane or DCM, combined while the aqueous layers retrieved were
served as an organic solvent because its density was combined and then discarded. The organic layer was
greater compared to water. In swirling DCM and water mixed with half a spatula of anhydrous sodium sulfate in
containing the extract, the caffeine is brought to the Erlenmeyer flask. The purpose of the anhydrous sodium
organic layer. sulfate is tho absorb any excess water that was present
in the caffeine so as to not hinder in the determination of
the weight and percentage yield of the caffeine in the
teabags.
Anhydrous sodium sulfate
The weight and percentage yield of the caffeine
retrieved was calculated. The percentage yield of the
caffeine was small possibly because of the presence of
impurities in the caffeine.
Dicholoromethane
When the DCM and water containing caffeine were
V.References
Babcock, Ph.D., P. (1993). Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged. (3rd Ed.).
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster Inc.
Duran-Rosenbaum, R. (2008, October 22). Caffeine Extraction. Retrieved 9:30 pm, July 30, 2010 from,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8071912/Caffeine-Extraction
Lehman, J.W., (2010). Multiscale Operational Organic Chemistry: A PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH TO THE LABORATORY
COURSE. (2nd Ed.). New Jersey, U.S.A.: Pearson Education, Inc.
