distill

Distill is a physical separation process in which a liquid is heated to create vapor, which is then condensed back into a liquid and collected. Distillation relies on differences in boiling points among components to separate a mixture. The product of collection is called the distillate. The term is also used metaphorically to describe extracting the essential meaning from information or a body of work.

Several methods are used depending on the needed degree of separation and the nature of the mixture. Simple distillation uses a single vaporization-condensation cycle and is effective when components have substantially different boiling points. Fractional distillation employs a fractionating column to improve separation, especially for close-boiling components. Vacuum distillation lowers ambient pressure to reduce boiling points, which helps with heat-sensitive compounds. Steam distillation uses steam to co-distill volatile compounds from materials that decompose at high temperatures, a common technique for essential oils and natural products.

Basic equipment includes a distillation flask, a heat source, a condenser to cool and condense the vapor, and a receiver to collect the distillate. A fractional distillation setup adds a column packed with material to enhance interaction between rising vapor and the liquid, improving separation.

Applications span chemistry, industry, and environmental work. Distillation purifies and concentrates chemicals, separates components of crude oil into fractions, enables production of alcoholic beverages, extracts essential oils, and purifies water or other liquids in laboratories and manufacturing. The practice has roots in ancient techniques and advanced steadily through scientific developments, with terminology derived from Latin distillare, to drop apart.

In addition to its scientific use, distill can mean to extract the essential elements of a broader topic, producing a concise, clear synthesis.