distills

Distillation is a physical separation process in which a liquid mixture is heated to its boiling points and the resulting vapors are condensed to recover components as distillates. The technique relies on differences in volatility: components with lower boiling points vaporize first and can be collected separately from those with higher boiling points.

Several distillation methods are used to improve separation. Simple distillation is suitable for mixtures with large boiling point gaps and involves a single evaporation-condensation cycle. Fractional distillation uses a tall fractionating column with internal surface area to create many theoretical plates, enhancing separation for closer boiling points. Vacuum distillation lowers ambient pressure to reduce boiling temperatures, useful for heat-sensitive materials. Steam distillation employs steam to carry volatile components at lower temperatures, commonly used for essential oils and natural products.

Common equipment includes a distillation flask, a fractionating column (when needed), a condenser to cool vapors, and a receiver to collect the liquid. Heating sources provide the energy to reach the target temperatures, and careful setup minimizes losses and hazards.

Applications of distillation span science and industry. It is a primary method for purifying solvents and removing impurities, recovering solvents in chemical processes, and producing distilled beverages in the food and beverage sector. It also enables isolation of essential oils, purification of hydrocarbons in the petrochemical industry, and many laboratory analyses.

History notes that distillation has roots in ancient and medieval alchemical practices, with key developments in alembic designs and later improvements in fractional distillation during the 19th and 20th centuries. While versatile, distillation is limited by azeotropes and energy requirements, and not all mixtures separate cleanly by this method.