Distillation

Distillation

Distillation is a common method used to separate liquid mixtures based on differences in their boiling points.

When a liquid mixture is heated, the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes first. The vapor is then cooled and condensed back into a liquid, resulting in a substance with higher purity than the original mixture.

Examples of Distillation

1. Fragrances used in perfumes or cosmetics are extracted from plants through distillation.
2. Gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, light oil, and heavy oil are obtained by heating crude oil (petroleum) at high temperatures.
3. Distilled spirits are produced by distilling fermented beverages. (For example, distilling wine produces brandy with a higher ethanol concentration.)