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Chemistry > Is Matter Around Us Pure? > Distillation

Distillation

Table of Contents
What is Distillation?

Role of Raoults Law and Daltons Law

Types of Distillation

Important Applications

What is Distillation?
Distillation refers to the selective boiling and
subsequent condensation of a component in a
liquid mixture. It is a separation technique that
can be used to either increase the
concentration of a particular component in the
mixture or to obtain (almost) pure components
from the mixture. The process of distillation
exploits the difference in the boiling points of the
components in the liquid mixture by forcing one
of them into a gaseous state.

It is important to note that distillation is not a

chemical reaction but it can be considered as a
physical separation process. An illustration
describing the laboratory setup that is generally
used to execute this process is provided below.

The distillation performed on a laboratory scale

often uses batches of the liquid mixture whereas
industrial distillation processes are generally
continuous, requiring a constant composition of
the mixture to be maintained.

Role of Raoult’s Law and Dalton’s Law

The temperature at which the vapor pressure of
a liquid becomes equal to the pressure of the
surrounding area is known as the boiling point
of that liquid. At this temperature point, the
liquid is converted into its vapor form via the
formation of vapor bubbles at its bulk.

It is important to note that the boiling point of

the liquid changes with the surrounding
pressure. For example, the boiling point of water
at sea level is 100oC but its boiling point at an
altitude of 1905 meters is 93.4oC (since the
atmospheric pressure is relatively lower at high
altitudes).

For a mixture of liquids, the distillation process is

dependent on Dalton’s law and Raoult’s law. As
per Raoult’s law, the partial pressure of a single
liquid component in an ideal liquid mixture
equals the product of the vapor pressure of the
pure component and its mole fraction.
According to Dalton’s law of partial pressures,
the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases
is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of all
the constituent gases.

When a mixture of liquids is heated, the vapor

pressure of the individual components
increases, which in turn increases the total
vapor pressure. Therefore, the mixture cannot
have multiple boiling points at a given
composition and pressure.

Why is it Impossible to Completely

Purify a Mixture by Distillation?
At the boiling point of a mixture of liquids, all the
volatile constituents boil. However, the quantity
of a constituent in the resulting vapor is based
on its contribution to the total vapor pressure of
the mixture. This is why the compounds with
higher partial pressures can be concentrated in
the vapors whereas the compounds having low
partial pressures can be concentrated in the
liquid.

Since a component in the mixture cannot have

zero partial pressure, it is impossible to obtain a
completely pure sample of a component from a
mixture via distillation. However, samples of high
purity can be obtained when one of the
components in the mixture has a partial
pressure which is close to zero.

Types of Distillation
Some important types of distillation include:

Simple distillation

Fractional distillation

Steam distillation

Vacuum distillation

Air-sensitive vacuum distillation

Short path distillation

Zone distillation

Simple Distillation
Simple distillation involves heating the
liquid mixture to the boiling point and
immediately condensing the resulting
vapors.

This method is only effective for mixtures

wherein the boiling points of the liquids are
considerably different (a minimum
difference of 25oC).

The purity of the distillate (the purified

liquid) is governed by Raoult’s law.

Fractional Distillation
Fractional distillation is often used to separate
mixtures of liquids that have similar boiling
points. It involves several vaporization-
condensation steps (which takes place in a
fractioning column). This process is also known
as rectification. The apparatus required to
perform a fractional distillation on a mixture is
listed below.

Round-bottom flask or distilling flask

A source of heat, which can be a fire or a

hot bath.

Receiving flask to collect the condensed

vapors

Fractioning column

Thermometer to measure the temperature

in the distilling flask

Condenser

Standard Glassware.

When heated, the liquid mixture is converted

into vapors that rise into the fractioning column.
The vapors now cool and condense on the walls
of the condenser. The hot vapors emanating
from the distilling flask now heat the condensed
vapor, creating new vapors.

Many such vaporization-condensation cycles

take place and the purity of the distillate
improves with every cycle. An illustration
depicting a fractional distillation setup is
provided below.

Commonly used condensers in laboratories

include Liebig condensers and Graham
condensers.

Steam Distillation
Steam distillation is often used to separate
heat-sensitive components in a mixture.

This is done by passing steam through the

mixture (which is slightly heated) to
vaporize some of it. The process
establishes a high heat-transfer rate
without the need for high temperatures.

The resulting vapor is condensed to afford

the required distillate.

The process of steam distillation is used to

obtain essential oils and herbal distillates
from several aromatic flowers/herbs.

Vacuum Distillation
Vacuum distillation is ideal for separating
mixtures of liquids with very high boiling
points.

In order to boil these compounds, heating

to high temperatures is an inefficient
method. Therefore, the pressure of the
surroundings is lowered instead.

The lowering of the pressure enables the

component to boil at lower temperatures.
Once the vapor pressure of the
component is equal to the surrounding
pressure, it is converted into a vapor.

These vapors are then condensed and

collected as the distillate. The vacuum
distillation method is also used to obtain
high-purity samples of compounds that
decompose at high temperatures.

Air-Sensitive Vacuum Distillation

For compounds that are sensitive to air and
readily react with it, the vacuum distillation
process is carried out but the vacuum must be
replaced with an inert gas once the process is
complete. Such a process is often referred to as
air-sensitive vacuum distillation.

Short Path Distillation

Short path distillation is used to purify a small
quantity of a compound that is unstable at high
temperatures. This is done under lowered
pressure levels and generally involves the
distillate traveling a very small distance before
being collected (hence the name ‘short path’).
The reduced distance traveled by the distillate
in this method also reduces the wastage along
the walls of the apparatus.

Zone Distillation
The process of zone distillation involves the
partial melting of a substance and the
condensation of the resulting vapors to obtain a
pure distillate. This is carried out in a long
container with the help of a zone heater.

Important Applications
The method of distillation has a considerable
history, dating back to 3000 BC. Evidence
suggests that the distillation of alcohol was
developed as far back as the 9th century. Some
important applications of distillation are listed
below.

Distillation plays an important role in many

water purification techniques. Many
desalination plants incorporate this
method in order to obtain drinking water
from seawater.

Distilled water has numerous applications,

such as in lead-acid batteries and low-
volume humidifiers.

Many fermented products such as

alcoholic beverages are purified with the
help of this method.

Many perfumes and food flavorings are

obtained from herbs and plants via
distillation.

Oil stabilization is an important type of

distillation that reduces the vapor
pressure of the crude oil, enabling safe
storage and transportation.

Air can be separated into nitrogen, oxygen,

and argon by employing the process of
cryogenic distillation.

Distillation is also employed on an

industrial scale to purify the liquid
products obtained from chemical
synthesis.

To learn more about distillation and other

related topics, such as sublimation, register with
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Types of Distillation

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Frequently Asked Questions on

Distillation

Q1 What is distillation?

Distillation refers to the selective boiling and

subsequent condensation of a component
in a liquid mixture. It is a separation
technique that can be used to either
increase the concentration of a particular
component in the mixture or to obtain
(almost) pure components from the
mixture.

Q2 What is the boiling point?

The temperature at which the vapour

pressure of a liquid becomes equal to the
pressure of the surrounding area is known
as the boiling point of that liquid.

Q3 Does the boiling point of a liquid vary with

pressure?

Yes, the boiling point of a liquid varies with

pressure. For example, the boiling point of
water at sea level is 100℃ but its boiling
point at an altitude of 1905 meters is 93.4℃
(As the atmospheric pressure is relatively
lower at high altitudes).

Q4 Where do we use fractional distillation?

Fractional distillation is primarily used in

separating liquid with comparable boiling
points. It involves several vaporization-
condensation steps taking place in a
fractioning column.

Q5 What is zone distribution?

Zone distillation involves the partial melting

of a substance and the condensation of the
resulting vapours to obtain a pure distillate.
This is carried out in a long container with
the help of a zone heater.

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