Chem 31 Experiment No. 1

EXPERIMENT NO.
ISOLATION OF CAFFEINE FROM TEA
I. OBJECTIVES
 To gain experience in using extraction as a method of separation
 To assemble and use a simple distillation setup in the separation of volatile
substances from non-volatile substances
 To determine the boiling point of a liquid sample
 To isolate caffeine from tea and gain experience in chemical laboratory
manipulation of plant materials
II. DATA AND RESULTS
Weight (g)
Tea 20 g
Sodium carbonate 12.5 g
Boiling point of Chloroform: 60° C

Pre-weighed evaporating dish- 51.3522
Caffeine: 51.3826-51.3522= 0.0504 g
Theoretical: 0.7080 g of caffeine per tea bag
Percentage Yield- 0.0504 g/ (0.7080 x 10 tea bags) x 100%= 1.42 %
III. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
In the solid-liquid extraction, the soluble compounds of the solid sample (tea) are extracted by
the solvent which is the water. When 20 g of tea were boiled, the hot water swells the tea to release
caffeine and other compounds such as tannin. In order to prevent the extraction of tannin, 12.5 g of
sodium carbonate were added. This reacts with tannin to form insoluble salt. Thus tannin and other
solid components were left on the beaker while caffeine and water were collected as filtrate after
decantation
In the liquid-liquid extraction, chloroform is used as the solvent. In this process, the compounds
are separated based on their solubilities into two immiscible liquids such as water and chloroform.
Since caffeine dissolves in chloroform, two immiscible liquids have appeared namely, the chloroform
layer and the aqueous layer. Since they are immiscible they can be easily separated by letting the
aqueous layer out of the separatory funnel. After adding additional amount of chloroform, more
aqueous layer was formed and separated. With shaking and swirling of the separatory funnel, bubbles
appeared. These are called emulsions. An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. When
tannins are converted to their salts, they become an ionic surfactant. These causes the materials that
don’t dissolve in water to form an emulsion with water. This emulsion can be minimized by careful
handling and swirling of the separatory funnel. Sodium sulphate was also added in order to remove
traces of water left with the chloroform layer.
To separate caffeine from chloroform, distillation was done. Their differences in volatility and
boiling points made them easy to separate by simple distillation. Chloroform has a boiling point of 60°
C which is lower than caffeine. The solution started to boil vigorously within 54° C and constantly
boiled at 60° C for several minutes. The chloroform evaporated first so it was the one that was
collected as the distillate and the remaining liquid in the distilling flask contains the caffeine. The
remaining liquid in the distilling flask was further heated until all the chloroform evaporated leaving
caffeine crystals.
An empty evaporating dish was weighed and it weighs 51.3522 g. After the caffeine crystals
were isolated, the evaporating dish containing the crystals was weighed again. It weighed 51.3826 g .
By subtracting the weight of the crystals together with the evaporating dish and the evaporating dish
we can get the weight of the caffeine that was extracted. Its weight is 0.0504 g. Thus the percentage
yield of caffeine in the tea is 1.42 %. The small amount of caffeine crystals that are obtained is
attributed to some errors occurred during the experiment. In our first trial of liquid-liquid extraction,
the solution that we extracted evaporated so in this experiment we only used the solution that we
extracted from the 2nd trial that is why the amount of caffeine crystals that we extracted is half of the
actual expected amount of the extracted caffeine.
IV. CONCLUSION
In order to isolate caffeine from tea, different types of extraction methods were done. The
solid-liquid extraction extracted soluble components such as caffeine from tea with water as the
solvent. In the liquid-liquid extraction, chloroform was used to dissolve caffeine and to separate it
from water. Chloroform and caffeine are then subjected to distillation for separation due to the
difference on their boiling points. Since chloroform has lower boiling point, it evaporated faster. The
remaining liquid was then heated evaporating the chloroform and leaving the caffeine crystals. Out of
20 g of Tea, only of caffeine was obtained.
The small amount of caffeine crystals that are obtained are due to some errors occurred during
the experiment. It may be personal or instrumental errors. Our personal errors include letting the
solution evaporate and carelessness in handling chemicals that we spilled some of the chemicals. In
order to prevent or minimize these errors, it is recommended that the experimenters must do the
procedures carefully and systematically. Always remember that proper handling of chemicals, proper
weighing of samples and proper ways to transfer liquids to another container.
V. QUESTIONS
A. Discuss briefly the role of the following in the isolation of caffeine:

1. Sodium carbonate- it prevents the extraction of tannin. It reacts with tannin and
forms an insoluble salt thus removing it from the solution
2. Sodium sulphate- It acts as drying agent because it removes any water that remains
in the chloroform layer.
B. Give at least three characteristics of chloroform that make it a good extracting solvent
for caffeine.
Chloroform is a good extracting solvent fro the isolation of caffeine because
caffeine dissolves in it, it is immiscible with water and it has lower boiling point
that caffeine.
C. How efficient is the extraction of tea leaves containing 1 g of caffeine with two 30-mL
portions of chloroform over that of a single step extraction (K25° C = 8.38)?
D. What are emulsions? Why do they form during extractions? How are they minimized?
Emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. One liquid (the dispersed
phase) is dispersed in the other (continuous phase). When tannins are converted to their
salts, they become an ionic surfactant. These causes the materials that don’t dissolve in
water to form an emulsion with water. This emulsion can be minimized reducing the
energy input through slow and careful shaking and swirling of the separatory funnel.
E. Why is it necessary to remove a stopper from a separatory funnel when liquid is being
drained from it through a stopcock?
It is necessary to remove the stopper from a separatory funnel in order for the
liquid to continually flow out. Removing the stopper would release the pressure
so the liquid will flow continuously. When stopper is not removed, the liquid
will not drain out no matter how you manipulate the stopcock.
VI. REFERENCES
 Microsoft Encarta 2009
 “Isolation of Caffeine from Tea.”Retrieved November 23,2010.http://science.
csustan.edu/almy3012/caffeine.htm
 “Liquid-Liquid Extraction” Retrieved November 23,2010.http://en.wikipedia.o
rg./wiki/Sol ven_extraction
 “Solid-liquid extraction.” Retrieved November 23,
2010.http://209.85.175.104/search?
q=cache:RGNjHy_IUQJ:www.iq.uva.es/separation/archivos/SkriptumExtracton
 Brown, T.E, Lemay, H.E, Bursten, B.E, Burdage ,J.R. Chemistry the Central
Science 9th edition Pearson Education.Singapore.2004.

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EXPERIMENT NO.

ISOLATION OF CAFFEINE FROM TEA

II. DATA AND RESULTS

Boiling point of Chloroform: 60° C

III. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

A. Discuss briefly the role of the following in the isolation of caffeine:

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