SEPARATING TECHNIQUES
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MIXTURES AND
SEPARATION
Apply suitable separation techniques based on
differences in properties of the components of
mixtures;
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OBJECTIVE
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MIXTURES
Mixtures are impure substances. Many times it is
necessary to separate a mixture in order to obtain
its pure compounds.
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SEPARATION TECHNIQUES
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SOME METHODS OF
SEPARATION TECHNIQUES
SUBLIMATION
CENTRIFUGATION AND DECANTATION
FILTRATION
EVAPORATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION
SIMPLE DISTILLATION
SEPARATING FUNNEL
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION
PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY
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SUBLIMATION
The substance which sublimes will be changed
into a vapour and then formed back on the inside
of the funnel.
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.
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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
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.
z 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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Solvent extraction
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.
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 with
the chromatogram.
The spots of mixtures must be solvent front
glass
placed above the solvent level, so cover
chromatography
paper
that they will not immediately
dissolve in the solvent, and the
solvent has time to slowly move up.
starting line
large
beaker
solvent
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 Rf value = distance moved by a substance
cm) distance moved by solvent front
E.g. Rf value of red dye = 7 cm = 0.7
(7 10 cm
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
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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.
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/sodium
chloride
Solvent extraction Different solubility in a particular Iodine/ sodium
solvent chloride
SOLID/LIQUID
Suspension Decantation and Different particle sizes Chalk/water
Filtration
Solution Widely differing boiling points Copper
Evaporation/ sulphate/ water
Crystallisation /
Simple distillation Differing solubility in a particular Screened
Colloids solvent leading to differing methyl orange
speeds of movement on
Chromatography chromatogram
LIQUID/LIQUID
Miscible Fractional distillation Slightly differing boiling points Ethanol/water
Separating Funnel Differing densities Oil/ water
Immiscible
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.
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
(g) yellow dye from durian ice cream
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QUICK CHECK
2. Explain the following 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 diagram
above). Identify the dyes
present in the ink.
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
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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.
b. Name the technique(s) used.
z 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.
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.
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
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CLASSWORK #2
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.
