Methods of simple distillation

Chemistry Course (100), School of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Exact

Sciences.

Autonomous University of Chiriquí (UNACHI).

Date: 24th of june, 2024.

❖ Members: Juan Morales 4-827-420, Raiza Montenegro 4-831-1673,
Gabriel Gallardo 12-714-2295, Jorge Ortiz 4-836-571, Emanuel Rosas 4-
819-2117, Rubén Monrroy 4-827-2358, Moises Abrego 1-752-2185,
Aldair Arena 4-822-1819, Bladimir Solano 1-759-1957
Summary.

Simple distillation is a basic separation technique used to separate liquids with

significantly different boiling points (typically a difference of more than 25°C). This
process exploits the difference in boiling points of the components in a mixture. The
necessary equipment includes a distillation flask, a heat source, a thermometer, a
condenser, and a receiving flask. During the process, the liquid mixture is heated in
the distillation flask until the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes. This
vapor rises and enters the condenser, where it is cooled and converted back into
liquid form. The condensed liquid, known as the distillate, is collected in the receiving
flask. Simple distillation is effective for the purification of solvents, the distillation of
alcohol, small-scale desalination, and the preparation of pure compounds in the
laboratory. However, it is not suitable for mixtures with close boiling points, is
inefficient for large-scale separations, and is not effective for heat-sensitive
substances that may decompose.

- Key words: Evaporation, point of fusion, temperature, separation.

- General objective.
- Determine by the distillation technique the compounds within a mixture
- Specific objective.
- to learn and become familiar with this technique of separation and purification
of substances.
- Separate substances from natural sources by the vapor stripping method.
 The vapor is The vapor cools and condenses
there, then falls back to liquid form in the
Theoretical framework:
receiver flask.
The process of distillation comes from the
Ethanol has a melting point of 114.1 °C and
Latin 'de-stillare' meaning 'to drip').
its boiling point is 78 °C. Water has a melting
Distillation is said to be an ancient process
point of 0 °C and its boiling point is 100°C.
around 200 B.C. in countries such as China,
Alvarez, D. O. (2024, June 8).
Egypt and Mesopotamia. These had
medicinal purposes, but also aimed at
creating balms, essences and perfumes. It is
also said that the alchemist Jabir Al-Hayyan it is said that the substance with the lowest
(Geber) in the year 800 used this technique, °C, i.e. ethanol, will evaporate first, since
and that the alembic was invented by the water reaches its boiling point at 100°C. The
Arab Al-Razi, the first to distill oil. Lda, I. C. distillation balloon heats the mixture to be
(2022, May 1). History of distillation. distilled. The round shape ensures
uniformity during boiling and prevents liquid
loss. The valves in the distillation system
serve to control the flow of liquid and vapor.
The simple distillation points out a method
used in laboratories to purify liquids given its
variation in the boiling degree and it is
defined by heating a liquid combination until Steam distillation enables the purification or
its evaporation and then condensing it and isolation of high-boiling-point compounds
transferring it to a receptive flask. through distillation at a low temperature
(always below 100 °C). It is a very useful
Its objective is to make the components distillation technique for substances with a
obtained as pure as possible and boiling point much higher than 100 °C that
consequently to concentrate more of them. decompose before or upon reaching their
The distillation apparatuses have a round boiling point temperature.
bottom flask, serpentine condenser and the
receptive flask and 3 valves. Aceq
Laboratories (2022, June 8). Steam distillation is a distillation technique
that allows the separation of substances that
According to Mym Instruments Group
are insoluble in water and slightly volatile
technicians (2023, July 11). The distillation
from other non-volatile products. An excess
flask is given a gentle heat treatment in order
of water is added to the mixture containing
to be boiled and, as a result, the components
the product to be separated, and the mixture
are allowed to be extracted from the liquid.
is subjected to distillation. The non-volatile
No science is involved in the process, the
compounds and/or those soluble in hot water
liquid is heated and until it reaches the
are recovered in the distillation flask, and the
boiling point, the vapor transported through
volatile and water-insoluble compounds are
the drip tube enters the condenser.
obtained in the receiving flask. Finally, the
isolation of the organic compounds collected
in the receiving flask is carried out by
extraction.

➢ Materials.

➢ Reactives.
 ➢ Experimental esqueme.

➢ Results. (nathaly, samuel)

Ethanol and water separation
Description Measure
Saline and ethanol 50 mL
Extracted ethanol 24 mL
Temperature 78°C - 85°C
Extracted water 26 mL
Temperature 95°C - 100°C
➢ Discussion of results.
Simple distillation is a process of
separating components of a liquid
mixture based on boiling point
differences. (see figure 1.
distillation apparatus)
This process is commonly used in
laboratories to purify liquids and
separate components of a mixture by
their different boiling points. Aceq
Laboratories (2022b, June 8)
Temperature is an important factor in
distillation, since it controls when
each component volatilizes and
condenses. In the above case, when
heating the mixture, first the ethanol
at 78°C begins to evaporate and
condense, then the water at 95°C
follows the same process, and finally,
the salt remains as a residue in the
flask because of its significantly
higher boiling point.
The first drops obtained in our
collecting beaker were when the
ethanol reached its boiling point at °C,
they gave off an odor that identifies
ethanol. As the temperature rose to
about 85°C, the number of droplets
 decreased, becoming almost The salt, as we have seen, remained in the
nonexistent, indicating that the ball as a residue, demonstrating the
ethanol distillation process had been purification process, through its separation.
completed, indicating that most of the
The heating plate was the heat source that
ethanol present in the mixture had
evaporated the aqueous solution and
been separated. When approaching
according to the boiling points, these were
95°C other drops began to fall, these
converted into gas and the refrigerant, which
did not have any characteristic odor,
was the source of less heat, was in charge
theoretically it is said that the boiling
of returning them to the liquid state.
point of water is 100°C which
evidently explains the absence of Distillation processes are not only used in
odor. Finally, NaCl residue remained chemistry, but also in other industries, such
in the flask. as, for example, the production of alcohol
and other alcoholic beverages such as wishy
This is because NaCl is considered non-
or rum, which has demonstrated its different
volatile and will not evaporate significantly at
effectiveness in obtaining natural essential
the standard distillation temperature.
oils from plants.
Valverde, M., & Valverde, M. (2023, Mar. 13)
We can deduce that NaCl requires an
extremely high temperature in order to reach Not forgetting the chemical industries, which
its boiling point, which theoretically is around employ it to purify apart from compounds,
1465 °C. This would require much more some drugs. It is widely used in oil refining to
energy, making this impossible. The separate its crude components, for example
condenser serves the function of cooling the gasoline, diesel and kerosine and even in
vapors of the volatile components, returning the water purification process. Martin, J.
them to a liquid state for collection. (2023, 17 August).

That is, by means of controlled temperature In comparison of this method of separation

variation, achieving the separation of the to other methods previously practiced in the
components of the mixture in simple laboratory is filtration focuses on separating
distillation. Bolívar, G. (2023, March 30). so to speak insoluble solids from liquids or
Simple distillation gases, with decantation we note that it is
effective in separating insoluble liquids or
solids from a liquid, and chromatography
Something very interesting about this focuses on differences in the rate of
distillation process is that no quantities of the movement of the components through a so
substances to be distilled are lost. That is, to speak porous medium.
not even a milliliter of total volume will be
Each separation method is selected
lost, unless there is a leak during distillation.
according to the properties of each
As we know, these are liquid substances that component which we are going to separate,
evaporate and condense in other containers. and the objective itself, being simple
distillation efficient for liquid mixtures with Technical Instruments.
differences in boiling points, as we could
appreciate. On the other hand, filtration, https://www.myminstrumentostecnico
decantation and chromatography are
effective for separating different types of s.com/equipos-de-
mixtures depending on their properties in a
laboratorio/destilacion-proceso-de-
more specific way.
separacion-de-sustancias/

➢ Castilla, M., Directors, R., &

Hernández Fernández, F. (n.d.).

STUDY OF ETHANOL-WATER

Conclusion. SEPARATION BY IONIC LIQUIDS.

➢ Practice with the simple distillation Retrieved July 2, 2024, from

technique allows you to learn and
become familiar with the process of https://repositorio.upct.es/server/api/
separation and purification of
substances, understanding how core/bitstreams/80d844a9-6aa4-
differences in boiling points are used
433b-a7bc-c3265873ca60/content
to isolate individual components of a
mixture. ➢ Lda, I. C. (2022, May 1). History of

distillation. Iberian Coppers.

➢ The use of the steam extraction
method in a simple distillation allows https://www.copper-
the effective separation of volatile
substances from natural sources. alembic.com/es/pagina/history of the
This process is useful for obtaining
specific components of a complex destilation.
mixture, based on their different
➢ Operaciones Básicas en el
boiling points and volatility.
Laboratorio de Química. Destilación.

Bibliographic references. Tipos de Destilación. (s. f.).

➢ technicians, mym instruments. https://www.ub.edu/oblq/oblq%20cas

(2023, July 11). Distillation: Process tellano/destilacio_tipus.html#:~:text=

of Separation of Substances. Mym

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tilaci%C3%B3n

➢ Bolívar, G. (2023, 30 marzo).

Destilación simple. Lifeder.

https://www.lifeder.com/destilacion- Quiz about the destillation.

simple/ 1. Mentions physical methods of

➢ Aceq Laboratorios. (2022a, junio 8). separation.

EQUIPO DE DESTILACION SIMPLE | - Filtration: Filtration is a method used

ACEQ Laboratorios. to separate solids from liquids or

https://aceqlaboratorios.com.co/producto gases. It is based on the difference in

/vidrieria/equipo-de-destilacion-simple/ particle size between the solid and

➢ Álvarez, D. O. (2024, 8 junio). 30 the liquid or gas. The solid is placed

ejemplos de ebullición. in a filter, through which the liquid or

https://www.ejemplos.co/30-ejemplos- gas is passed, leaving the solid

de-ebullicion/ behind.

- Decanting: Decanting is a method

used to separate liquids from solids

that settle to the bottom of a vessel.

The mixture is allowed to stand until

the solids settle to the bottom, then The most common method used to

the liquid is carefully poured out to separate solids from liquids is

avoid removal of the solids. filtration.

3. What is the most commonly

- Distillation: Distillation is a method used method for separating liquids

used to separate liquids that have with different boiling points?

different boiling points. The mixture is The most commonly used method for

heated in a closed vessel, and the separating liquids with different

vapor produced is condensed and boiling points is distillation.

collected in a separate vessel. 4. For what type of mixtures is

distillation not recommended?

- Chromatography: Chromatography

is a method used to separate Distillation is not recommended for

components of a mixture based on separating mixtures of substances

their ability to move through a specific that decompose when heated or that

medium. The medium can be paper, have very similar boiling points.

gel, liquid or gas. The components of 5. Parts of the distillation

the mixture are separated as they apparatus

move through the medium at different -Distillation flask: Contains the liquid

speeds. to be distilled.

2. What is the most common -Condenser: It is in charge of cooling

method used to separate solids and condensing the vapors that are

from liquids? released from the flask.

-Adapter: Connects the distillation

flask with the condenser.

-Coolant: Cools the condensed

vapors so that they return to the liquid

state.

-Thermometer: Allows to control the

temperature of the system during

distillation.

-Outlet pipe: Allows the exit of the

condensed distillate.

-Support: Holds the distillation

equipment securely during the

process.