To a 1 L Erlenmeyer flask add:
Stir reaction, heating to 50-60°C, overnight or until all plastic has visibly dissolved.
Neutralize with HCl to a pH of 5-6.
Vacuum filter solution 2-3 times, dispose of any solid collected.
Using a sterile syringe, filter solution into a jar to store until needed.
The filtered solution was measured in a polarimer. The optical rotation results are as follows.
| pH | Optical Rotation |
|---|---|
| 2.5 | .12 |
| 3.5 | -.13 |
| 4.21 | -.26 |
This suggests that the solution did in fact contain lactate because a pH change made a significant difference in the optical rotation of the solution.
"
