Mixtures and Separations

TOPIC: SEPARATING MIXTURES

Learning Outcomes

2.5 apply suitable separation techniques based on

differences in properties of the components of
mixtures;

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Mixtures are impure substances. Many times it is necessary
to separate a mixture in order to obtain its pure compounds.
Some of Methods of Separating Mixtures are:
■ Sublimation
■ Centrifugation and Decantation
■ Filtration
■ Evaporation and Crystallization
■ Simple distillation
■ Separating funnel
■ Solvent extraction
■ Fractional distillation
■ Paper chromatography
 Sublimation

▪ Sublimation is the method used

to separate a substance which
sublimes from a mixture.
▪ Examples of substances which
sublime are: iodine,
ammonium salts, naphthalene
and dry ice.
▪ The mixture is heated in an
evaporating dish covered with
a filter funnel.
• The substance which sublimes will be changed into a vapour and
then formed back on the inside of the funnel.
 Decantation
■ This method can be
used to separate
suspensions. The
mixture is left
undisturbed until all
the solid particles
settle out. The liquid
layer is then
carefully poured or
decanted off, leaving
the solid residue 4
behind.
 Filtration
■ Filtration is another method used to separate a suspension
(an insoluble solid from a liquid). An example would be to
separate a mixture of sand and water.

The solid (sand) left on the

filter paper is called residue.

The liquid (water)

that has passed
through the filter
paper is called
filtrate.
 Evaporation and Crystallisation
■ This method can be used to separate a solid/liquid solution.
■ The mixture is heating in the evaporating dish. The liquid solvent
boils off so that the solution becomes increasingly concentrated.
When the solution is super saturated, crystals begin forming. If
the solution is cooled, crystalisation (crystal formation) occurs.
Slower cooling produces larger crystals. The crystals are washed
and dried.
 Simple distillation
■ Distillation is the
method used to obtain
a pure solvent from a
solution. E.g. pure
water from seawater.
■ It is done by heating
the solution in a
distillation flask and
collecting the vapour
that boils off.
■ A condenser is used to
condense the hot
vapour and change it
to a liquid. Both components of the mixture are obtained.
Separating Funnel

■ This method is used to separate a

mixture of immiscible liquids.
■ The mixture is placed into a
separating funnel and allowed to
settle into two layers.
■ The liquid of highest density sinks
to the bottom of the funnel.
■ Each layer can then be run off and
collected separately via the tap at
the bottom of the apparatus.
 Solvent extraction
This method is used to separate mixtures where one component
dissolves in a particular solvent, and the other does not, e.g. a
mixture of iodine and sodium chloride. Iodine dissolves in the
solvent tetrachloromethane, while sodium chloride does not. The
mixture can be separated as follow:
■ Add tetrachloroethane to the mixture. The iodine dissolves while
the sodium chloride remains as a suspension.
■ Filter the mixture to remove the sodium chloride.
■ Evaporate the filtrate to obtain the iodine.

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 Fractional Distillation
Fractional distillation is used to separate miscible liquids of similar
boiling points.
■ The boiling point of water and
ethanol are 100oC and 78oC
respectively.
■ As a mixture is heated, it
boils. A vapour of ethanol and
water rises up into the
fractionating column. The
fractional column provides a
large cool surface for
condensation to take place.
■ Water (higher B.P.) trickles
back into the flask.
■ Vapor rises up the column
consisting of purer ethanol
(lower B.P.)
 Paper Chromatography

■ Method used to separate inks

and other pigments that are
colloids.
■ It is based on the principle that
different substances have
different solubilities in the same
solvent.
■ The more soluble substance will
get carried along faster by the
solvent and move further ahead
than the less soluble substances.
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 Set up for Paper Chromatography
▪ The starting line must be
drawn in pencil, not ink.
This is because unlike ink,
pencil lead is insoluble in the
solvent and will not interfere glass cover
solvent front

chromatography
with the chromatogram. paper

▪ The spots of mixtures must be

placed above the solvent starting line
large
level, so that they will not beaker

immediately dissolve in the solvent

solvent, and the solvent has

time to slowly move up.
▪ The solvent front must be allowed to move as far up the paper as
possible to ensure that all the dyes are separated.
 The Retention Factor( Rf )value of a
substance

(10 cm)
Rf value = distance moved by a substance
distance moved by solvent front

E.g. Rf value of red dye = 7 cm = 0.7

(7 cm)
10 cm
 Paper Chromatography

Worked example
The chromatogram shows 3
single dyes red, green and
blue, and also four unknown
samples P, Q, R and S.
Identify the dyes present in
each of the samples, P, Q, R,
S.
Solution
Sample P contains green dye and one unknown dye.
Sample Q contains only blue dye.
Sample R contains green, blue and red dyes.
Sample S contains green and red dyes.
 Fractional Crystallisation
■ Fractional crystallization can be used to separate two
dissolved substances which have different solubilities
at different temperatures. A warm concentrated
solution containing the two solutes is cooled, a larger
proportion of the solute with the lower solubility
crystallises out. The solute with the higher solubility
remains in solution, the crystals still contain a small
amount of the solute with higher solubility. So the
procedure is repeats several times to improve the
purity filtration is used to separate the crystals from
the solution.
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 SUMMARY OF SEPARATION TECHNIQUES
TYPE OF SEPARATION
PRINCIPLE OF METHOD EXAMPLE
MIXTURE METHOD USED
SOLID/SOLID Sublimation One substance sublimes the Ammonium
other does not. chloride/sodiu
m chloride
Solvent extraction Different solubility in a particular Iodine/ sodium
solvent chloride
LIQUID/LIQUID
SOLID/LIQUID
Decantation and
Suspension Filtration Different particle sizes Chalk/water

Evaporation/
Solution Crystallisation / Widely differing boiling points Copper
Simple distillation sulphate/
Differing solubility in a particular water
Colloids Chromatography solvent leading to differing
speeds of movement on Screened
chromatogram methyl orange

LIQUID/LIQUID

Miscible Fractional distillation Slightly differing boiling points Ethanol/water

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Immiscible Separating Funnel Differing densities Oil/ water
 Key points

■ Explain the following terms:

■ Chromatography, colloid, crystallisation, distillation,
filtrate, fractional distillation, miscible, residue,
separating funnel, simple distillation, immiscible,
solution, solubility, sublimation, suspension.
■ Identify different types of solutions.
■ Describe and perform methods of separation.
■ Choose an appropriate method for separation of a
mixture, based on differences in properties of its
components.
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 Quick check
1. State the method you will use to

separate the following substances.

(a) calcium carbonate from table salt
(b) iodine from sodium chloride
(c) table salt from seawater
(d) sugar from sugar solution
(e) pure water from sewage water
(f) ethanol from beer
2. (g) yellow
Explain thedye from durian
following ice cream
in chromatography.
(a) Why is the starting line not drawn with ink or a ball point pen?
(b) The spots of samples on the start line should be small.
(c) What is the biggest advantage of chromatography?
3. A sample of ink was analysed using paper chromatography (see
 Solution to Quick check
1. State the method you will use to separate the following
substances.
(a) dissolution, followed by filtration
(b) sublimation
(c) evaporation
(d) crystallisation
(e) distillation
(f ) fractional distillation
(g) chromatography
2. Explain the following in chromatography.
(a) Ink contains dyes which could dissolve in the solvent and
interfere with the chromatogram.
(b) So that they would not smudge the paper.
(c) It can detect and identify very small amounts of
substances.
3. Blue and yellow dyes
 Homework
1. Name the separation technique you would use to separate:
a. mud from a mixture of mud and water
b. oil from a mixture of oil and water
c. distilled water from sea water
d. the dyes in black ink.
explain each of your choices.
2. Describe with the aid of a diagram how you would obtain
ethanol from a mixture of ethanol and water.
3. Describe giving experimental details how you would separate
the pigments in chlorophyll, starting with fresh leaves.
4. a. Describe how a mixture of sand and sodium chloride
could be separated to give pure dry samples of each
substances.
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b. Name the technique(s) used.
 Homework

5. Two students working independently in different parts of the

world discover a purple flower. They believe the flower
contains the same pigment. How could they test their
hypothesis?
6. Imagine you are shipwrecked on a desert island. The only
source of drinking water is the sea. You have an empty
gasoline can and matches from the lifeboat. Bamboo,
coconuts and driftwood can be found on the island. Describe
with the aid of a diagram how could you obtain fresh water
from sea water.
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 Classwork #2
7. A student used chromatography to investigate the dyes in a
food colouring. A series of dyes and extract of the food
colouring were spotted on the paper at the points marked X.
Ethanol was used as the solvent to carry the dyes up the
paper. The chromatogram below shows the results.

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 Class work #2
(i) State which dye is the most soluble in ethanol.
(ii) State which dye is not present in the food colouring.
(iii) The Rf value of a dye is calculated by using the formula:
Calculate the Rf value for
Chad Yellow

8. Iodine is only slightly soluble in water. It forms a pale yellow

solution when dissolves in water. However, it is much more soluble
in cyclohexane, forming a purple solution when it dissolves.
Cyclohexane is less dense than water and is immiscible with water.
(i) Predict what will occur when cyclohexane is added to a solution
of iodine in water and the mixture shaken and allowed to stand.
(ii) Using a labeled diagram outline the steps to be taken when
separating the mixture in i) above. 24