Distillation Chemistry

what is distillation

separating mixtures that contain liquids

what is simple distillation

separating a liquid from a solution

why can you not separate methane, ethanol and propanol using simple distillation method

because they will all evaporate when heated due to their similar boiling points

apparatus for separating sea water into pure water

flask - hold the mixture

beaker - hold the pure water

Leibig condensor - turn evaporated water vapour into liquid form

thermometer measure temperature to boiling point

lid for flask - mixture doesn’t evaporate & no gas can escape

method for simple distillation

• heat mixture using a Bunsen burner

• liquid evaporates

• rises to the top of the flask

• pressure will force is down the condenser

• condense vapour into liquid

• collected in beaker

what is fractional distillation

separating mixtures of liquids

apparatus for separating methanol, ethanol and propanol

flask - hold mixture

fractionating column - full of little glass rods, cooler at top than bottom

condenser - turn evaporating gas into liquid

beaker - collecting pure methanol, propanol and ethanol

method for fractional distillation

• heat mixture to 65 degrees first

• methanol evaporates

• condense into liquid methanol

• some ethanol and propanol may evaporate

• come into contact with glass rods

• cooler than boiling point

• condense back into liquid

• repeat the steps to separate propanol and ethanol

boiling points methanol, propanol and ethanol

methanol - 65 degrees

ethanol - 78 degrees

propanol - 97 degrees