Definition of Distillation:
Distillation is a separation process that involves heating a liquid mixture to create vapor and then cooling the vapor to obtain a liquid.
The process exploits differences in boiling points of components in the mixture to achieve separation.
Objectives:
Separation of Components: To separate a mixture into its individual components based on their boiling points.
Purification: To purify a substance by removing impurities or unwanted components.
Concentration: To increase the concentration of a specific component in a mixture.
Recycling: To recover solvents and other useful substances from mixtures for reuse.
Applications:
Petroleum Industry: Refining crude oil into various fractions such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and lubricating oils.
Chemical Industry: Producing high-purity chemicals and solvents, separating reaction products, and recycling solvents.
Pharmaceutical Industry: Purifying active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates.
Food and Beverage Industry: Distilling alcoholic beverages like whiskey, vodka, and rum; concentrating flavors and essences.
Water Treatment: Desalinating seawater to produce fresh drinking water.
Environmental Engineering: Treating waste and recovering valuable components from industrial effluents.
Distillation remains a fundamental and versatile technique widely used in various industries due to its effectiveness in separating and purifying liquids.