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Fractional Distillation: Org I Lab Dr. W. J. Kelly
Fractional Distillation: Org I Lab Dr. W. J. Kelly
ORGILAB
Dr.W.J.KELLY
THEBOILINGPOINT
P eC/T
THETEMP/TIMERELATIONSHIP
T
E
M
P
Boiling point of pure A
TIME or VOLUME
Boiling Temperature Behavior of Pure Liquid
Boiling Temperature Behavior of Mixture A
and B where BP of A < BP of B
RaoultsLaw
For a mixture of two miscible liquids (A and B), the total vapor pressure is the
sum of the individual vapor pressures:
Ptotal = PA + PB
where
VaporEnrichment
NAvapor = PA/PT
And
NBvapor = PB/PT
The result of this process is that when a mixture of two miscible liquids with
different boiling points is heated,the vapor will have a different composition than
the liquid. THE VAPOR IS ENRICHED IN THE MORE VOLATILE (LOWER
BOILING) COMPONENT.
DistillationProcess
FractionalDistillation
AB at composition of 5% A boils at temperature L1 and the vapors with composition V 1 enter the column at
that temperature. The vapor will condense to a liquid with composition V 1. The condensate L2 has a
lower boiling point (because it has more of the lower boiling liquid A) and will thus vaporize at a lower
temperature (warmed up by coming in contact with the additional vapors from below) to give vapors of
composition V2. These vapors will condense somewhat farther up the column to give a condensate L 3.
If the column is long enough or contains sufficient surface area that many successive vaporizationcondensation steps (theoretical plates) can occur, the distillate that comes over the top is nearly pure A.
Distillation yielding pure A continues until all of A is removed, after which the temperature at the
thermometer rises to the boiling point of B.
DistillationEfficiency
The efficiency of a fractional distillation is determined by the amount of pure liquid
components obtained. Keep in mind that if a liquid is pure it will have a constant boiling
point. The temperature of vapors in equilibrium with liquid at the boiling point will be constant.
A plot of temperature vs. time for a pure liquid will look like A below.
The efficiency of a fractional distillation can be demonstrated graphically by plotting the
change in temperature of the distillate over time (or over volume of distillate, as in this
experiment). In a fractional distillation with low efficiency, separation will be poor. There will
be little or no pure component as distillate. The composition of the distillate will be
constantly changing and the bp of the vapor in equilibrium with liquid will be constantly
changing. It will give a plot such as B.
An efficient distillation will give pure components which will have constant boiling points.
Such a process is shown below in plot C. The relatively flat: horizontal regions at the
beginning and end of the plot indicate pure components A and B are obtained.
The closer to this ideal sigmoid shape the better the fractional distillation.
DistillationSetups
FractionalDistillationSetup
ProperThermometerDepth