Distillation

Distillation is a process that can be used to separate a pure liquid from a mixture of liquids. It works when the liquids
have different boiling points. Distillation is commonly used to separate ethanol - the alcohol in alcoholic drinks - from
water.

Topic : Destilation process.

Main Idea : Destilation can be used to separete a pure liquid, when the liquid have different boiling points.
The mixture is heated in a flask. Ethanol has a lower boiling point than water so it evaporates first. The ethanol vapour
is then cooled and condensed inside the condenser to form a pure liquid. The thermometer shows the boiling point of the
pure ethanol liquid. When all the ethanol has evaporated from the solution, the temperature rises and the water
evaporates. This is the sequence of events in distillation: Heating, evaporating, cooling, condensing.

Topic : How ethanol evaporated.

Main Idea : Ethanol has a lower boiling point than water so it evaporates first.

Fractional distillation
Fractional distillation differs from distillation only in that it separates a mixture into a number of different parts,
called fractions. A tall column is fitted above the mixture, with several condensers coming off at different heights. The
column is hot at the bottom and cool at the top. Substances with high boiling points condense at the bottom and
substances with low boiling points condense at the top. Like distillation, fractional distillation works because the different
substances in the mixture have different boiling points.

Topic : Fractional distlation.

Main Idea : How fractional distillation work is different with destilation process.

Fractional distillation of crude oil

Because they have different boiling points, the substances in crude oil can be separated using fractional distillation. The
crude oil is evaporated and its vapours allowed to condense at different temperatures in the fractionating column. Each
fraction contains hydrocarbon molecules with a similar number of carbon atoms.

Topic : Fractional distlation of crude oil.

Main Idea : How fractional distillation of the crude oil process until get the fraction that contains hydrocarbon molecules
with a similar number of carbon atom.

Oil fractions
The diagram below summarises the main fractions from crude oil and their uses, and the trends in properties. Note that
the gases condense at the top of the column, the liquids in the middle and the solids stay at the bottom. The main
fractions include refinery gases, gasoline (petrol), naphtha, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, and a residue that contains
bitumen. These fractions are mainly used as fuels, although they do have other uses too.
Topic : The main fraction from crude oil.

Main Idea : The main fractions include refinery gases, gasoline (petrol), naphtha, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, and a
residue that contains bitumen. These fractions are mainly used as fuels, although they do have other uses too.

Combustion of fuels
The fractions from crude oil all contain hydrocarbons, molecules that are made from hydrogen and carbon atoms only.
Hydrocarbons with small molecules make better fuels than hydrocarbons with large molecules. This is because small
hydrocarbon molecules:

are more volatile - turn into a gas more easily

are less viscous - they flow more easily
are more easily ignited
burn with a cleaner, less sooty flame

Topic : The fractions from crude oil.

Main Idea : Hydrocarbons as the fraction from crude oil with smalls moleculs make better fuels because many reason

Complete combustion
Fuels burn when they react with oxygen in the air. The hydrogen in hydrocarbons is oxidised to water - remember that
water, H2O, is an oxide of hydrogen. If there is plenty of air, we get complete combustion and the carbon in hydrocarbons
is oxidised to carbon dioxide: hydrocarbon + oxygen + water + carbon dioxide

Topic : Complete combustion.

Main Idea : The hydrogen in hydrocarbons is oxidised to water - remember that water, H2O, is an oxide of hydrogen. If
there is plenty of air, we get complete combustion.

Incomplete combustion
If there is insufficient air for complete combustion, for example in faulity gas fires, we get incomplete combustion instead.
The hydrogen is still oxidised to water, but instead of carbon dioxide we get carbon monoxide. This is a toxic gas that
sticks to the haemoglobin in our red blood cells, which lowers the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to our cells.

Topic : Inomplete combustion.

Main Idea : Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion is a toxic that sticks to the haemoglobin in our blood cells.
Biofuels
Biofuels come from the products of living organisms, such as methane biogas from decaying manure and sewage.
Vegetable oils are also used as fuels for vehicles. Some of this biodiesel is made from waste cooking oil and rapessed oil.

Topic : Biofuels.

Main Idea : Where the biofuels come.

Ethanol
Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer. It is also useful as a fuel. For use in cars an
other vehicles it is usually mixed with petrol. Ethanol can be made by a process called fermentation. This converts sugar
from sugar cane or sugar beet into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Topic : Ethanol.

Main Idea : How ethanol made and it use.

Advantages of using biofuels

Biofuels are carbon neutral, which means that they release only as much carbon dioxide when they burn as was used to
make the original oil by photosynthesis. This helps to reduce global warming. However, some people are concerned about
whether it is ethical to use food crops in this way, instead of using people.

Topic : Adventages of using biofuels.

Main Idea : Using biofuels help to reduce global warming because biofuels are carbon natural.

This is example of distillation that use for daily life.

Distilated Water
Distilled water is water that has had many of its impurities removed through distillation. Distillation involves boiling the
water and the condensing the steam into a clean container.
Topic : Disitilled water.

Main Idea : Distilled water is water that has had many of its impurities removed through distillation.

Distillated water is preferable to tap water for use in automotive cooling systems. The minerals and ions typically found in
tap water can be corrosive to internal engine components, and can cause a faster depletion of the anti-corrosion additives
found in most antifreeze formuation.

Topic : Distilled water.

Main Idea : The minerals and ions typically found in tap water can be corrosive to internal engine components, and can
cause a faster depletion of the anti-corrosion additives found in most antifreeze formuation.

Distilled water is also essential for use in cigar humidors. Mineral build-up resulting from the use of tap water (including
bottled water) will reduce the effectiveness of the humidor.

Topic : Distilled water for cigar humidors.

Main Idea : Mineral build-up resulting from the use of tap water (including bottled water) will reduce the effectiveness of
the humidor.

Distilled water is alo used in Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines to humidify the air entering the users
nasal cavity, mouth, and throat. Distilled water will not leave any humidifier in the CPAP machine evaporates the water.

Topic : Constan Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

Main Idea : Dustilled water is alo used in Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines to humidify the air entering
the users nasal cavity, mouth, and throat.

The application of distillation can roughly be devided in four groups : laboratory scale, industrial distillation, disitillation of
herbs for perfumery and medicinal (herbal distillate) and food processing. The latter two are distinctively different from the
former two in that in the processing of beverages and herbs, the distillation is not used as a true purification method but
more to transfer all volatiles from the source materials to the distillste.

Topic : Application of distillation.

Main Idea : The distillation is not used as a true purification method but more to transfer all volatiles from the source
materials to the distillste.