Learning outcomes

Describe distillation process and explain

how it is used to separate water from salt
water

Describe fractional distillation process

and explain how it is used to separate
water from ethanol water mixture

Part 3
Of
Separation Technique
Method 7:

SIMPLE
DISTILLATION

Method 7:
Simple Distillation
1. Can

be used to separate

A) pure

water from salt water

B) Pure

water from sugar water

2. Diagram drawn by students:

Label thermometer, round bottom
flask, Leibig condenser, colleting
flask
3. Function of anti bumping agent.

Method 7 Simple Distillation

Some

Terms Used :

Distillate

- the liquid that distils over

Miscible liquids - liquids that mix
completely to form a single layer
Immiscible liquids - liquids that do not mix
A solvent

can be separated from a

solution and collected by simple
distillation.

Method 7 Principle of Distillation

A liquid boils and turns into vapour at its
boiling point.
When the vapour is condensed, the (pure)
liquid is obtained again.

Method 7 Simple Distillation

2...vapourise.
Thevapourrises
uptheflask

3.thecondenseriscold,
sothevapourthatenters
theneckofthecondenser
thermometer iscooledandcondensesto
liquidwater.

flask
seawater

condenser

Boiling chips
1.Solutionis
heated,causingthe
solventto

distillate

4.Purewater
dripsintothe
beaker.Itis
distilled
water.

Method 7 Simple Distillation

thermometer
Water out

flask
seawater
Boiling chips
Tomaintaineven
boiling,withnot
toomuchbumping

condenser

Water in

Liebig Condenser
Vapour enters

Condensed vapour in liquid

form (distillate) leaves

Direction of water flow

Water
out

Cold
water in

Water flows in anti-current to the flow of vapour.

Liebig Condenser
Vapour enters

Condensed vapour in liquid

form (distillate) leaves

Direction of water flow

Water
Cold
Thisout
is to make sure the coldest part
of the
water
in

condenser is just before the vapour escapes.

Method 7 Simple Distillation

Simple distillation can be used to obtain
water from salt solution

water from copper(II) sulfate solution

ether from a solution of sugar in ether
Note :
The liquid that distils over is called the distillate .
The solid that remains in the flask is called the
residue .

Method 7 Simple Distillation

Qns. : Where is the thermometer
placed? What is the reason for this?
thermometer
flask
seawater

condenser

Boiling chips
distillate

Simple Distillation
Thermometer placed at the side arm of the
flask so that it records the temperature
of the vapour as it enters the condenser.

thermometer
flask
seawater

condenser

Boiling chips
distillate

Part 3
Of
Separation Technique
Method 8:

FRACTIONAL
DISTILLATION

Separating miscible liquids Fractional distillation

miscible liquids can only be
separated by fractional distillation if
they have different boiling points .
Eg. mixture of ethanol and water.

Boiling point of water is 100 C

Boiling point of ethanol is 78C

Which gets boiled off first?

Separating miscible liquids Fractional distillation

Fractionating
column

flask
Boiling chips

thermometer
Water out
condenser

Water in
mixtureofethanol
andwater

distillate

How ethanol and water

Mixture is separated?
Name of method: Fractional distillation
Reason used: Two liquid have different boiling
point can be separated. The liquid with
lower boiling point is distilled over first.
Example:
Pure liquid Water boils at 100 C and Pure liquid
ethanol boils at 78 C.
So, ethanol with lower boiling point boils and
forms vapour first.

1. The ethanol and water

mixture is not flammable.
It can be directly heated with an
open flame from bunsen
burner. Anti-bumping agents
are used to prevent violent
boiling.

 2.

The fractionating column is

packed with glass beads to
increase its surface area.
Vaporisation followed by
condensation takes place many
times as the vapour is swept
upwards.

 3.

As the vapour rises higher, the

temperature of the vapour
increase. The vapour contains more
of ethanol.

 4.

The vapour that enters the

Leibig condenser is pure ethanol
and the thermometer shows a
temperature of 78 C.

 5.

Pure ethanol Vapour that enters

the Leibig condenser is cooled to
liquid ethanol.

 6.

All ethanol liquid will boil to

vapour and pure ethanol vapour
will condense out to form pure
ethanol first. The temperature
shown by thermometer as 78 C.

 7.

After all the ethanol has

boiled over and condenses out,
water will boil into vapour and
then condenses out. This time
the thermometer shows a
temperature reading of as 100
C.

2.Thefractionatingcolumnispackedwithglass

beadstoincreaseitssurfacearea.Vaporisation
followedbycondensationtakesplacemany
timesasthevapourissweptupwards.

3.Asthevapourriseshigher,the

temperatureofthevapourincrease.The
vapourcontainsmoreofethanol.

4.ThevapourthatenterstheLeibig

condenserispureethanolandthe
thermometershowsatemperatureof
78C.
5.PureethanolVapourthatentersthe
Leibigcondenseriscooledtoliquid
ethanol.

6.Allethanolliquidwillboiltovapourandpure
ethanolvapourwillcondenseouttoformpure
ethanolfirst.Thetemperatureshownby
thermometeras78C.
7.Afteralltheethanolhasboiledoverand
condensesout,waterwillboilintovapourand
thencondensesout.Thistimethethermometer
showsatemperaturereadingofas100C.

Separating miscible liquids

Fractional distillation
2.Thefractionating
columnispackedwith
glassbeadstoincrease
itssurfacearea.
Vaporisationfollowedby
condensationtakesplace
manytimesasthevapour
issweptupwards.

3.Eventually,the
liquidwiththelower
boilingpointreaches
thetopanddistils
over.

1.Whenheated,the
liquidwiththelower
boilingpointwill
vaporizemorereadily.

Separating miscible liquids Fractional distillation

4.Thetemperature
staysconstantat
78C.Whenallthe
ethanolhasdistilled
over,the
temperaturereading
risesabove78C.
At100C,water
startstodistilover.

5.Thereceiveris
changedtocollecteach
distillateseparately.

Separating miscible liquids Fractional

distillation
Sketch a graph
of temperature versus time
to show the changes in temperature
readings to obtain pure ethanol from the
ethanol water mixture
temperature
100C
78C

time

Separating miscible liquids Fractional

distillation
Sketch a graph
of temperature versus time
to show the changes in temperature
readings for the total time in separating the
pure liquid.
temperature

100C

time

Sketch a graph of temperature versus time

to show the changes in temperature
readings to obtain pure ethanol from the
ethanol water mixture
temperature

100C
78C

time

Separating miscible liquids Fractional distillation

Note :
The glass beads in the
fractionating column
provides a large surface
area so that condensation
occurs more readily.
The liquid with the lower
boiling point distils over
first, followed by the liquid
with the next higher boiling
point.

glass
beads

Separating miscible liquids Fractional distillation

Note :
If the liquids in the mixture
have the same boiling
point, fractional distillation
is not possible.
If the difference in boiling
point is great, fractional
distillation occurs readily.

glass
beads

C
F1

B
E
F2
A

Ethanol
and water
mixture

Fractional distillation applications

Fractional distillation can be used to separate :

nitrogen and oxygen from liquid air

the components of crude oil

ethanol from fermented liquor

Fractional distillation of
crude oil