Fraktionointikolumni

Fraktionointikolumni, also known as a fractionation column or distillation column, is a piece of laboratory and industrial equipment used in chemical engineering and chemistry. Its primary purpose is to separate mixtures of liquids with different boiling points through a process called fractional distillation.

The column typically consists of a tall, vertical cylinder containing a series of trays or packing material. This design increases the surface area within the column. During operation, a liquid mixture is heated, and its vapors rise. As the vapors ascend through the column, they encounter cooler surfaces and condense. This condensation and re-vaporization process occurs repeatedly at different levels within the column. Components with lower boiling points will vaporize more readily and travel higher up the column, while those with higher boiling points will condense at lower levels.

The separation is achieved because at each stage, the vapor becomes progressively enriched in the more volatile component. A thermometer at the top of the column monitors the temperature, allowing operators to control the distillation process. When the vapor reaching the top has the desired purity, it is condensed and collected as a purified product. The effectiveness of a fractionation column is measured by its theoretical plates, which represent the number of equilibrium stages achievable for separation. Higher numbers of theoretical plates indicate a more efficient separation. Fraktionointikolumnis are essential in industries such as petroleum refining, chemical production, and alcohol purification.