Simple and Fractional Distillation of a Binary Mixture free essay sample

Simple and Fractional Distillation of a Binary Mixture Introduction: In this experiment the aim is to separate two chemicals from a stock mixture (azeotrope) using two different distillation processes. In both methods (simple and fractional) the liquids reach a boiling point, the molecules then vaporize, separate from the stock mixture and then condense back into liquid form down the to the receiver. Simple distillation works well when the two components boiling points have a large difference. Fractional distillation works best when the components boiling points have a small difference. The boiling point of cyclohexane is 80 degrees Celsius. Toluenes boiling point is about 110 degrees Celsius. The liquid with a higher vapor pressure is higher in concentration and would be collected first. Raoult’s law states: the vapor pressure of an ideal solution is dependent on the vapor pressure of each chemical component and the mole fraction of the component present in the solution. We will write a custom essay sample on Simple and Fractional Distillation of a Binary Mixture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Dalton’s Law states: that the total pressure exerted by the mixture of non-reactive gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of individual gases. Experimental: Simple Distillation:Fractional Distillation: Simple Distillation provided a high percent recovery at 97. 14%. This is the case because simple distillation is recommended when the boiling points of two components have a large difference. The Fractional Distillation didn’t work as efficiently, producing a percent recovery of 74. 28%. There could have been many factors that would have contributed to such a low percent recovery. Some of the stock mixture could have been spilt or a mishap with the temperature. Also fractional distillations are meant to be used when the two components boiling points only have a small difference. The graphs for both simple and fractional distillation represent the amount of the chemical collected at certain temperatures (Celsius). Conclusion: The simple distillation achieved the aim of this experiment with great results. Using both methods we were able to separate the two chemicals, cyclohexane and toluene, from the stock mixture. These techniques prove to be very useful when trying to isolate certain components and would aid us in other experiments. References: Experiment Organic Chemistry Lab Manual Haverford