Wahid, Fatra S.
Group No.4
Date performed: January 09, 2015
Date submitted: January 13, 2015
Experiment No.6
Separation and Purification of Organic Compounds
Distillation
Objectives:
to prepare a simple distillation set-up using a quick fit apparatus.
to separate acetone from water in a mixture.
Procedure:
Prepare distillation set-up
25 ml distilled H2O + 25 ml acetone
(distilling flask)
w/ Electric hotplate
Collect 5 ml of distillate (at 56C) and another 5 ml (at 100C)
Test for completeness of Separation
+ 2-3 drops distillate
(dry evaporating dish)
Ignite it
Data and Results:
Mixture
Filtrate collected at 560C
Treatment
Placed in distilling flask
(which was positioned at the
simple distillation set-up) and
heated.
Ignited
Filtrate collected beyond 560C
Ignited
Production of flame
Filtrate collected at 1000C
Ignited
No flames produced
Acetone + Water
Observation
Production of filtrate
Production of flame
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in
a boiling liquid mixture.
As the mixture was heated, the temperature of the mixture rises until it reaches the
temperature of the lowest boiling substance (the substance to be purified) in the mixture. The
substance with the lowest boiling point boils away. Meanwhile, the other components of the
mixture remains in their original phase until the lowest boiling component has all boiled off
(which is the acetone). Only then does the temperature of the remaining mixture rise and other
components are boiled off.
Answers to questions:
1. What is distillation?
Distillation is a process of evaporation and recovery, and is a commonly used
method for purifying liquids and separating mixtures of liquids intotheir individual
components. Generally, it is purifying solvents and liquid reaction products and works by
exploiting the different boiling temperatures of liquids in the mixture.
2. Why is this method effective in separating acetone from water?
Acetone and water are about more than 200C difference between the boiling
points.
3. What tests and experimental results indicate that acetone has been separated from water?
The production of flame in the ignition test and the colour change in the iodoform
test indicates that
4. What are the limitations of this method of separation?
This method of separation is not applicable to the chemicals being separated
having to close of boiling points.
5. Could the distillation process be used to convert muddy water to potable water? Explain
how and why.
6. How will you separate the components of a mixture containing benzene, toluene and
water?
