Allyl Alcohol: Glycerol Heated with Formic Acid, Organic Syntheses 1921

Glycerol heated fast with formic acid to 260 °C splits off carbon dioxide and water, and allyl alcohol distils over between 195 and 260 °C (Kamm and Marvel, Organic Syntheses 1921: 2 kg glycerol gave 570–590 g). Salted out with potash and dried, it boils at 94–97 °C. Allyl alcohol leads on to allyl glycidyl ether for epoxy glue. The picture: our diagram of the three distillations.