Rectifizierter

Rectifizierter is a German adjective formed from the verb rectifizieren, meaning to purify a liquid by distillation. In technical usage, rectifizieren refers to refining a substance through repeated distillation or staged separation to remove impurities and concentrate the desired component. Accordingly, rectifizierter describes liquids that have undergone this purification process.

Rectification is typically carried out with a distillation setup that includes a fractionating column or other apparatus designed to improve separation of components. Through multiple distillations, the main fraction becomes purer, and trace compounds are reduced. The term is most common in contexts involving volatile liquids such as alcohols, essential oils, and certain solvents.

A common historical and technical example is rectifizierter Spiritus, i.e., rectified spirit or rectified ethanol. This denotes ethanol that has been purified to a high degree, often around 95 percent by volume, making it suitable as a solvent, in pharmaceutical preparations, or as a chemical feedstock. The designation can also apply to other solvents and to substances used in perfume, cosmetics, and laboratory work.

In contemporary practice, rectification remains a defined purification step in chemical production and regulatory contexts, with purity levels specified by standards or pharmacopoeias. The term is still used in technical labels, older literature, and certain industry documents, though modern labeling may opt for explicit purity descriptors such as high-purity ethanol or distillates with defined ethanol content. The word shares its etymology with English rectify and is derived from similar Latin and French origins.