Distillation

By Jeff An and Spencer Zhou

What is distillation?

Two-step process used to purify a solution

(1) Conversion of liquid into vapor (boiling)

(2) Conversion of vapor back into liquid
(condensation)
The condensed liquid, which is free of any solutes,

is collected in a separate container

How does distillation work?

Exploits difference in volatility between solutes

and solvent

Volatility: tendency of a substance to evaporate

Example: distillation of salt-water

Boiling point of NaCl: 1413 C

Boiling point of H2O: 100 C

Water will evaporate, leaving behind the solute

App
arat
us

Important Notes

Round-bottom flask instead of Erlenmeyer flask

More exposure to heat

Glass-ground joints

Condenser uses water to cool the vapor

High heat capacity of water (able to absorb heat

without changing state itself)
Counter flow design

Our experiment

Materials:

Distillation kit (Distilling flask, receiving flask, three-way

adapter, condenser)

500mL beaker (water bath)

Hot plate

Aluminum foil

Unknown yellow solution (supplied by Ms. Monir)

Procedure: Please refer to the handout found at

academics.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/chem211lab/Orgo_Lab_Manual/Appendix/Techniques/SimpleDistill/simple_distillation_n.html

Our experiment (cont.)

[Add video]

Results and conclusion

Obtained a moderate amount of distillate

Process took around 1hr

High heat capacity of the water-based solution

Used hot-plate rather than Bunsen Burner

Thus, distillation is a viable but slow process for

obtaining purified water

Applications of distillation

Making of alcoholic beverages

When fruit and plant materials ferment, a dilute version of ethanol

is produced

Distillation concentrates the ethanol

Oil refining

Different oil products can be produced from crude oil

Fractional distillation used to obtain individual hydrocarbon

products

Separation of perfume from plants and herbs (steam distillation)

Survival chemistry

Moderately viable:

Can be used to kill bacteria and viruses due to heat

(difficult for a filter to do)

Removes salt content and toxic metals from water

Distillation still is reusable, unlike filters or tablets
Can take a long time, especially without a good heat
source (i.e. high temperature fire)
Can be adapted to be more portable (see image)

Possible
survival
distillation
still

Only need:
A pot and a fitting lid
Some source of water
Cup
String
Heat source

Thank you!