Azeotrooppipisteessä

Azeotrooppipisteessä, often translated as azeotrope point or azeotropic point, refers to the specific temperature and composition at which a liquid mixture boils to form a vapor with the same composition as the liquid. This phenomenon occurs in mixtures of miscible liquids, where the liquid and vapor phases have identical mole fractions. At the azeotropic point, the boiling point of the mixture becomes constant, and it is no longer possible to achieve further separation of the components by simple distillation.

There are two types of azeotropes: minimum boiling azeotropes and maximum boiling azeotropes. A minimum boiling azeotrope boils at a temperature lower than that of either of its pure components. Conversely, a maximum boiling azeotrope boils at a temperature higher than that of either of its pure components. The formation of azeotropes is a result of non-ideal behavior in the liquid mixture, where intermolecular forces between different components deviate from those between identical components.

Azeotropic distillation is a technique used to overcome the limitation imposed by azeotropes. It involves adding a third component, known as an entrainer, to the mixture. This entrainer forms a new azeotrope with one or more of the original components, altering the vapor-liquid equilibrium and allowing for separation. Alternatively, pressure swing distillation can be employed, as the composition of an azeotrope is dependent on pressure. Changes in pressure can shift the azeotropic point, enabling separation at different pressures. Understanding azeotrooppipisteessä is crucial in chemical engineering processes, particularly in purification and separation of liquid mixtures.