Simple Distillation vs. Fractional Distillation

Materials Needed:
  • Distillation Kit
  • 25 mL Boiling flak
  • 3 Boiling Chips
  • 25 mL of  methanol
  • 25 mL of water
  • 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask
  • Ring stand
  • Granduated cylinder
  • Thermowell Heater
 

Procedure
  • Collected 25 mL of water in a graduated cylinder, placed water in 25 mL boiler flask, rinsed graduated cylinder.
  • Collected 25 mL of methanol in a graduated cylinder, placed methanol in the 25 mL boiler flask.
  • Assembled simple distillation kit.
  • Began distillation process.
  • After distillation finished compared results with fractional distillation project.

 

Observations
  • Recorded temperature of the first drop of distillate. ----74°C
  • Began taking temperature of distllate after every mL of distillate droped into the graduated receiving cylinder.
  • Temperature rose in a linearly fashion
  • Stopped distillation when temperature hit 99°C.
  • At this temperature the only substance left in the boiler flask was water.

 

 

temperature.jpg

distil07.gif

simpledistillation.jpg

fracc.gif

Comparison of Fractional and Simple Distillation
A separate group of students did the fractional distillation process in class and we obtained their data.(utminers.utep.edu/padame)
 
The fractional distillation kit was different than that used for simple distillation.  Fractional distillation is set up in the same manner as a simple distillation but has a condenser filled with steel wool coming out of the head of the boiler flask.  The other group used the same amount of water and methanol and conducted the experiment in the same fashion.  The condenser used in fractional distillation does not have a water in or outlet since it is not used as a condenser but instead used as various simple distillations within the condeser.  The condenser makes the distillation process reach higher temperatures since the liquid is distilled several times in the condenser.  The condenser in a fractional distillation can be seperated into fractioning columns.  These fractioning columns make the distillate vapor come up the condenser but then reflect it and condense it.  This will occur several times and make the distillate vapor get distilled a variety of times.  By doing this the temperature during fractional distillation will reach higher temperatures than a simple distillation.
 
Comparing our results to the fractional distillation group we can see that the fractioning columns did work.
Our first drop of distillate came at a temperature of 74°C while the fractional distillations first drop came at 148°C.  The simple distillation reached its end at 99°C while fractional distillation reached its end at more than the double at 206°C.
 
 

Hugo Tapia
Rachel Sierra
Terese Marie Nuñez