Year 12 ATAR Chemistry

EpiChem Excursion – Synthesis of Asprin

The Year 12 ATAR Chemistry students recently had the opportunity to spend a day at EpiChem in Bentley, immersing themselves in the role of synthetic organic chemists. This excursion provided a practical laboratory experience where students applied their chemistry knowledge. The day began with an informative introduction and overview by Anusha Aubert, who shed light on the diverse aspects of work at EpiChem, ranging from research chemistry to medicinal drug development and green chemistry.

Prior to commencing our activities, we received a comprehensive safety induction from the lead chemist, James Rixson, as we were taking over an industrial laboratory for the day. The students were then divided into three teams, each focusing on the synthesis of aspirin and testing its purity using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Throughout our time at EpiChem, the students collaborated closely with professional chemists and scientists to synthesise aspirin. This hands-on experience reinforces understanding of reaction conditions, stoichiometry, and reaction kinetics.

Following the synthesis of aspirin, students delved into purification techniques, specifically recrystallisation, which involved separating impurities from the target compound to obtain pure aspirin crystals. By skilfully manipulating variables, they achieved a high yield of pure product, thereby enhancing their knowledge of solubility, crystallisation, and solid-state chemistry.

The excursion to EpiChem brought together two years' worth of chemistry knowledge, allowing students to witness the practical applications of the concepts they have studied. This bridging of theoretical principles with real-world experiments deepened their understanding of the subject and fostered a heightened interest in pursuing chemistry-related careers.

We extend our gratitude to Anusha, James, and the entire team at EpiChem for their warm welcome and unwavering commitment to promoting science education. Their expertise, guidance, and state-of-the-art facilities significantly contributed to the success of this excursion.

Lastly, we would like to express our appreciation to Mr D'Almeida for driving us to and from the excursion, ensuring a safe journey for all involved.

Students’ Experience

"The excursion to EpiChem was very enjoyable. The staff were so welcoming and they were extremely enthusiastic in what they were telling us about their work and organic chemistry as a whole. We learnt how to make aspirin from salicylic acid, and purified it using different laboratory instruments. It was a fun experience to be in a professional lab and the process definitely aided with the practical understanding of what we are learning in our chemistry classroom".  – Zara D’Cruz (X5)

"I really enjoyed this excursion because we got to learn about commercial drugs and how they are made. We also made aspirin and purified it. I really enjoyed how the EpiChem centre could make many different kinds of medicines. We also got to see the lab where they manufacture their products. Lastly, we learned the chemistry behind it. I recommend anyone to visit the centre."  - Theodore Ciungwanara (K5)

"The experience at EpiChem was exceptional amongst the excursions that I have had at St Norbert collage. The staff provided our cohort with excellent insight with regards to a chemistry based university and work pathway. During the day we were able to witness what it looks like to work as someone in the lab. Being able to witness what they do on a day to day basis has better equipped med to choose my future pathway. I would definitely encourage excursions like this because it gives a base to someone's decision for career path, and whether it should be chemistry based or not." – Sumail Sidhu (P7)

"Throughout the excursion we have been given the opportunity to learn about how chemists work in their daily lives and observe the passion they had for their work. We could tell this because of their in depth explanations that went from one ear then out the next.  However, being able to create asprin (white powder) from a white powder seems boring but the process was enjoyable. But it does give a proper perspective on how chemists actually work, as (against my expectations) there weren't any colourful shows nor explosions. But I'd rate it a 10/10." – Jonathan Le (T5)

Miss K Magee

(Teacher of Chemistry)