Exercise Name: Fractional Distillation

Work Task: Separate ethanol from water by fractional distillation and determine the volume fraction of
ethanol in the obtained sample
Equipment and chemicals: gas burner, tripod, gauze mat, iron stands, round and angular clamps,
round flask with ground neck (100 mL), Vigreux column, distillation nozzle, thermometer (up to 110 °
C), Liebig condenser, adapters for apparatus, receiving flask (graduated cylinder, flask or evaporating
dish), ethanol sample of specified volume, anhydrous copper (II) sulphate

Procedure description:
1.) Hand a 100 mL round flask to the teacher.

2.) Assemble the rest of the fractional distillation apparatus at atmospheric pressure. All grounded
parts must be lubricated with a thin layer of laboratory grease.

3.) You will receive a sample for distillation from the professor / technician (a 100 mL round flask with
a grounded neck). The sample volume is 40 mL.

4.) Add a few boiling stones to the same flask and secure the flask to the rest of the apparatus.

5.) Heat the sample in the flask with a gas burner over an gauze mat and measure the temperature
changes at 1-minute intervals.

6.) When the first drop drips from the condenser in the receiving flask, write in the table the
temperature of the beginning of distillation.

7.) Observe whether the temperature changes during distillation. Heat the sample so that the liquid is
evenly distilled drop by drop (one drop over one or two seconds). DO NOT HEAT too much or too
poorly; REGULATE the intensity of the flame!

8.) If the distillate drips too slowly or leaks, the heating is too weak or too strong!

9.) Write the temperature when the distillation of the second fraction begins, and change the receiving
flask.

10.) In a graduated cylinder, measure the volume of the alcohol fraction and calculate the volume
fraction of ethanol in the sample. Calculate the relative error.
Apparatus sketch:

Figure 1. Apparatus for Fractional

Distillation
Measurements:
Table 1. Temperature change over time during fractional distillation of ethanol

Measu t / min 𝝑 / °C Measu t / min 𝝑 / °C Measu t / min 𝝑 / °C

rement rement rement
number number number
1. 0 15. 29.

2. 16. 30.

3. 17. 31.

4. 18. 32.

5. 19. 33.

6. 20. 34.

7. 21. 35.

8. 22. 36.

9. 23. 37.

10. 24. 38.

11. 25. 39.

12. 26. 40.

13. 27. 41.

14. 28. 42.

Graph:

Draw a graph of your measurements as a function of temperature on the

heating time