Azeotropin

Azeotropin is a fictional chemical compound used in educational contexts to illustrate the concept of azeotropy in liquid mixtures. It is commonly described as a volatile organic liquid that forms constant-boiling mixtures with several common solvents.

In standard distillation at atmospheric pressure, azeotropin–water mixtures are said to exhibit a fixed composition and boiling point, making separation by simple distillation ineffective beyond that point. Textbooks often depict azeotropin with idealized phase diagrams showing at least one minimum-boiling azeotrope with water and, in some models, a maximum-boiling relationship with other solvents. These depictions are intended to demonstrate how non-ideal solution behavior can constrain separations.

Applications of azeotropin lie primarily in teaching, simulations, and thought experiments related to distillation design, feed composition, and process optimization. The concept helps illustrate why simple distillation cannot achieve complete separation and how engineers employ techniques such as azeotropic distillation, extractive distillation, or entrainers to break azeotropes in practice.

Synthesis and occurrence are described in fictional contexts rather than real laboratories. When used in instructional material, researchers may assign a convenient molecular formula and outline hypothetical synthesis routes to maintain internal consistency, often referencing generic reagents and standard laboratory conditions.

Safety and regulation are not established for azeotropin because it does not exist outside of educational or illustrative use. Any health, environmental, or handling considerations are part of the narrative for instructional purposes and are not supported by real-world data.