Before you start, make sure the separatory funnel has a ground glass barrel.
Place a small amount of grease on the stopcock. Do not directly cover the holes within the stopcock.
Place the stopcock into the barrel and rotate it to evenly distribute the grease.
Place the metal clip on the end of the stopcock.
Make sure that the stopcock is closed before placing your solution into the separatory funnel.
Teflon Stopcocks
Before you start, make sure the barrel does not consist of ground glass.
Remove the washer, o-ring and nut from the stopcock.
Insert the stopcock into the separatory funnel.
Place the washer, then the o-ring, followed by the nut onto the stopcock. Tighten until you feel a slight resistance when you rotate the stopcock.
Make sure that the stopcock is closed before placing your solution into the separatory funnel.
Practice Using the Stopcock
Place water into a separatory funnel and practice opening and closing the stopcock to control the flow of the solution. Note which direction the stopcock's handle is pointing when the solution flows through the stopcock.
