Laboratory distillation setup

The adapter connects to a condenser into which cold water is constantly passed through. The condenser leads into a collection flask for the purified liquid. What is fractional distillation? Fractional distillation is essentially the same as simple distillation except that a fractionating column is placed between the boiling flask and the condenser. The fractionating column is usually filled with glass or plastic beads. These beads improve the separation between the liquids being distilled.

The reason that fractional distillation gives better separation between the liquids is because the glass beads in the fractionating column provide "theoretical plates" on which the refluxing liquid can condense, re-evaporate, and condense again, essentially distilling the compound over and over. The more volatile liquids will tend to push towards the top of the fractionating column, while lower boiling liquids will stay towards the bottom, giving a better separation between the liquids.

Of course, the more theoretical plates that you add to a column the more surfaces or beads , the longer the distillation will take typically , and the more energy required to keep reevaporating liquid in the fractionating column this is more of a concern in industrial distillations than in an academic lab where energy cost is not a major cause for worry.

So, simple or fractional? The choice of whether to use fractional distillation or simple distillation depends on the two liquids being separated. To help make the process easier, here are simple step-by-step guidelines on how to set up a distillation apparatus. While the exact configuration process will likely differ slightly for each lab, this guide provides a general look at how to set up a distillation apparatus.

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Begin by placing a ring clamp on the ring stand to hold the heating mantle. Place your chosen heat source, such as a hot plate, on the ring clamp. Above the ring clamp, secure a round-bottom flask to a small three-pronged clamp on the ring stand.

It is very important not to add chips or tubes to heated liquid as it may suddenly begin to boil and eject hot liquid out onto the operator. The chips are generally made of sharp pieces of broken ceramic or hard plastic. Tubes are usually of the capillary type with both ends open.

Heating the distillation flask requires care. The liquids being distilled are often flammable so that flame is not the preferred heat source. Heating mantles or sand baths are good sources of heat to conform to the round-bottomed flasks. Care must be taken not to let any vapors near the control switches that may spark when opening and closing.

Doing the distillation inside a hood is a good practice. One last word of caution about the apparatus is in order. There have been cases where the operators decided to make the connection between the condenser and the receiving vessel a tight one using a stopper or standard taper connection. This must NOT be done as it creates a completely sealed system.