Distillaten

Distillaten are liquids produced by distillation, a separation process that relies on differences in boiling points within a mixture. By heating the material and collecting the condensate, components with lower boiling points appear as distillates at lower temperatures, while higher-boiling components remain in the residue. Distillaten can be pure substances or mixtures and are defined by the boiling ranges of the fractions obtained.

The term covers a broad range of products. In the petroleum industry, distillates are fractions derived from crude oil through distillation, including light fractions such as naphtha and kerosene and heavier fractions such as diesel and gas oil. In other contexts, distillates include essential oil fractions obtained by steam distillation and various solvent or spirit fractions produced by distilling mixtures from chemical or biotechnological processes.

Distillates are typically characterized by distinct boiling ranges, densities, viscosities, and sometimes sulfur or impurity contents. Their properties determine their primary uses: petroleum distillates serve as fuels and solvents or as feedstocks for further processing; essential oil distillates are used in fragrances and flavors; other distillates function as chemical intermediates or laboratory reagents.

Safety and regulation are important for distillaten. Many are flammable and may be toxic or irritating to health. Proper storage, ventilation, and handling are essential, along with adherence to quality standards and environmental and safety regulations that specify properties such as boiling range, sulfur content, and purity. The concept of distillaten is historical, rooted in ancient distillation practices and refined later with the development of fractional distillation to separate complex mixtures into multiple usable fractions.