Introduction to Separation Techniques

Separation techniques are used to separate mixtures into its constituent elements
and/or compounds. Recall that a mixture is contains elements and/or compounds
which are not chemically combined together.

Depending on the physical and chemical properties of the substances in the

mixture, we can choose the most appropriate separation technique to isolate them
from the mixture.

Separation method What it seperates

filtration Solution containing compounds with

same properties

sublimation Substances that sublime

magnetization Magnetic from non magnetic

substances

Separating funnel Immiscible liquids

Crystallization Dissolved solids that decompose on

heating

Evaporation Dissolved solids that do not decompose

on heating

Simple distillation Miscible liquids with wide range of

boiling points

Fractional distillation Miscible liquids with close range of

boiling points
 Chromatography Solvents with different rate of diffusion

SIEVING: This involves the use of mesh of a particular size to separate solid
mixtures of different sizes. The paricles smaller than the mesh size passes through
the mesh leving behind particles of larger size.

Application: it is used in mining( gold and diamond) and garri industries.

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SEPERATING FUNNEL: it is used to separate immiscible liquids such as

kerosene and water. The denser liquid goes below and is separated first while the
less dense liquid remains on top.

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Decanting: A way of separating insoluble solids from liquids, as the liquid is
poured away and collected in another container after allowing the insoluble solid to
settle down on standing and this method is not effective for obtaining clear liquid
from the mixture especially when the insoluble solid is very fine and light.

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Filtration: Separation of solids or groups of solids from the liquid in a mixture,

using a medium such as a filter paper through which the liquid ( filtrate) can pass
leaving behind a solid called residue .

Application ; it is used in industries such as water purification plants and

breweries.

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Evaporation: In the case which we do not need to collect the solvent. The solvent
is boiled off and escape into the air while the solute which does not decompose on
heating is left behind in the holding container.

Application ; it is used in salt making industries.

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Crystallisation: it is used to separate pure crystals of salt that will decompose upon
heating from a solution.

The solution is concentrated/ saturated by heating and allowed to cool to initiate

crystal formation. To enhance crystal formation the process are employed

Seedling (adding crystals of the same salt)

Stirring (scratching the inside of the container with a glass rod) the crystals formed
can be separated from the remaining solution via filtration.

Application ; it is used in sugar and drug industries respectively.

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FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION; it is used to separate two or more solids

present in a solution with different solubilities at different temperature. The
process is same as above but as crystal formation begins, the crystals of solutes at
lowest temperature appear leaving the others in the solution.

Simple Distillation: To separate and collect solvent from a mixture of two

different liquids (with different boiling points), with the use of heat. It involves
vaporizing a liquid and condensing the vapour into a liquid

Application : it is used in gin and water distilleries to manufacture gin and distilled
water.

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Fractional Distillation: Used to separate two or more miscible liquids with
different but very close boiling point. This method is more efficient than simple
distillation.

A fractionating column is introduced between the distillation flask and the

condenser. The upper portion of the column, which is closer to the condenser, is
cooler than the lower portion and hence, only gases with the same temperature as
the upper portion are allowed to pass on to the condenser. On the other hand, the
gases with higher boiling points will condense and flow back to the bottom into the
distillation flask, and is heated into a gas again. At the end, liquid with the lowest
boiling point will be the first to boil and hence the first to be distilled out and
collected.

Application : it is used to in Refineries separate crude oil into its fractions,

separation of air into nitrogen and oxygen etc

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Sublimation: this is the change of state from solid to gas directly on the
application of heat. Sublimation is used to separate a mixture of solids containing
one which sublimes and one (or more than one) which does not, by heating the
mixture.example of substances that sublime are iodine, camphor, ammonium
chloride, naphthalene etc

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Magnetization or Magnetic Attraction: This method involves the separation of

magnetic substances from non-magnetic substances by means of a magnet.

Application ; it is used in mining and steel industries

CENTRIFUGATION: this is used to separate a mixture of insoluble solid from a

liquid by using a centrifuge. A centrifuge is a machine which can spin test tubes
coating suspensions at high speed thereby separating the solutes.

Application ; it is used in hospitals( blood samples are centrifuged to separate

blood cells from plasma.
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Paper Chromatography: this method uses a solvent moving over an adsorbent

medium . It is used to separate a mixture of solutes (or liquid) with different
solubility and degree of adsorption. This method is commonly used for separating
a mixture of dyes in ink or different types of sugars (e.g. glucose, fructose,
sucrose).

Types of chromatography

1. Paper chromatography
2. Thin- layer chromatography
3. Gas chromatography
4. Column chromatography

PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY

In paper chromatography, a solution such as ink is spotted on a piece of filter paper

near one end. The paper is dipped in an appropriate solvent such as water or
ethanol in a closed air-tight jar. The solvent moves up the paper and leaves
different spots on the paper when it is removed and dried. This spots show the
different substances the dye contains.

Application; it is used to analyze blood, to identify petroleum fractions and

generally in scientific research.

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FLOTATION: this is a technique for seperating solids from liquids where the
particles of a solid is lower or made lower than the liquid such that it floats. For
example to separate mixture of saw dust and sand. It is used in purification of
metals.