Mystery Glassware I

[gaidzag]

I received a treasure trove of glassware from a chem professor friend who found them in the dumpster of the chem building on his way out from work. Most of the stuff I recognize, but there are a few pieces that I've never seen and can't find on google and that even he doesn't know what they are. I'm hoping someone here can help.

 

Here's the first piece. It's stuck to the top of a Vigreux column. Does anyone know what it's called and what its purpose is?

[studiot]

Looks like part of a reflux condenser to me.

 

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-66322002000100009

Edited July 11, 2014 by studiot

[gaidzag]

Thanks, studiot, for the quick reply. I should have been more specific--I figure it's part of a distillation apparatus, but I have not been able to find this specific piece in any literature. Even the diagram in the article you referred me to doesn't have quite this piece in it.

[Elite Engineer]

I was going to say a steam distillation apparatus, but you could have fooled me.

[John Cuthber]

I think it's a variation on one of these

http://www.scientificglass.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d68_Distillation_Heads,_Splash.html

it's purpose is to trap spray in the vapour and return it to the distilling flask so you get less impurities carried over into the product.

Incidentally, it's probably pointless on to of a fractionating column.

Edited July 12, 2014 by John Cuthber

[gaidzag]

Thanks, John. I think you're right on both counts. And not only is it useless on the fractionating column, it's stuck there!