OIL and CHEMICAL TEMPERATURE BATHS

bath mixture media

Media	m.p. °C	b.p. °C	Working range °C	Flash point °C	REMARKS
Water	0	100	0 to 80	none	Ideal within the stated range
Ethylene glycol	-12	198	-10 to 180	111	Flammable, difficult to remove from equipment
Silicone oil	-60	>250	20 to 250	300	becomes viscid at lower temp; non-corrosive
Triethylene glycol	-7	287	0 to 250	156	water-soluble, stable
Glycerol	18	290	20 - 260	160	water-soluble, non-toxic, viscid
Paraffin liquid		300-500	20 to 200	230	Flammable
Heating bath fluid	-40		0 to 170	280	miscible with water, non-toxic
Potassium nitrate (51.3%)	219		230 to 500		stable in air,strong oxidizing agent, non flammable
Sodium hydroxide (40%)	167		200 to 800		corrosive and harmful

Media	Temperature that can be reached °C	REMARKS
Ice water and salt (sodium chloride)	can reach up to -20 °C with this mixture	This is the standard laboratory freezing mixture
Ice water and hydrous calcium chloride	temperatures can be obtained as low as -55 °C with this mixture	This temperature could not be achieved in this lab
Dry ice and acetone	One can go as low as -78 °C with this combination	It takes patience, effort and dedication to achieve such low temperatures
Dry ice and Diethyl ether	may be possible to reach down to -100 °C with this mixture	This temperature could not be obtained. It seems most likely that the temperatures are highly dependent upon the relative proportion of the reactants in the combination mixtures.