1

Simple and Fractional Distillation

Adolfo, Angela Nicole G.*, Alcaraz, Frances Jillian F.
Aliman, Stephanie T., Astor, Jashmin D.
Bauzon, Franchesca D., Cabral, Danica Rose G.
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Santo Tomas

ABSTRACT
Distillation is one of the oldest and still most common methods for both the
purification and the identification of organic liquids. It is a physical process used to
separate chemicals from a mixture by the difference in how easily they vaporize. The
experiment used the Simple Distillation Method to separate the components of 30 mL
alcohol (vodka) and water. The distillate was collected with the aid of a calibrated test
tube (0.5 mL) until it reaches the temperature of 99 C. Also, the first, second and last
distillate were used for testing the presence of alcohol. Throughout the process, there is
a directly proportional relationship between the volume and temperature of the distillate.
In the flammability test, the first and second distillate shows the presence of alcohol
while the last one is not flammable at all. With the records obtained, a graph between
the volume and temperature of distillate was plotted and the percentage of alcohol and
percentage loss were also computed. Thus, simple distillation is not a so much complex
process of extraction and purifying liquids. Heating and vaporization are just the 2 major
process used to separate the components of alcohol (vodka) and water.

mixture by selective condensation and

INTRODUCTION

evaporation. It is a process of purifying

compounds by means of separating

Distillation is used to separate

the
component substances from a liquid

more volatile substance from non-volatile

or less volatile substance. There are two
types of distillation, namely simple and

fractional.

Fractional

distillation

is

which the condensed vapor is collected.

essentially the same as simple distillation

These instruments were tightly

except that a fractionating column is

secured to prevent breakage of the

placed between the boiling flask and the

apparatuses. First, in the distilling flask

condenser. The fractionating column is

containing pieces of boiling stones, a

usually filled with glass or plastic beads.

30mL of vodka was added. The flask was

heated with an alcohol lamp constantly.

In the experiment, the simple

Ideally, the substance with the lowest

distillation was used to separate the

boiling

point

vaporizes

first

the

components substances of the vodka.

temperature remaining constant until that

The following are the objectives to be

substance has completely distilled. The

achieved by the group:

vapor is led into the condenser where, on

being cooled, it reverts to the liquid

1.)

To

be

able

to

separate

the

(condenses) and runs off into a calibrated

components of the alcoholic beverage

test tube that serves as a receiving

(vodka) by distillation.

vessel. The one obtained is called as the

2.) To set up a distillation curve.

distillate and those substances having a

3.) To calculate the percent ethanol

higher boiling point remain in the flask

present in the vodka.

and constitute the residue.

4.) To compare the simple and fractional

distillation process efficiency in terms of
separating mixtures of liquid.

After which, the temperature of

the first drop in every test tube was
recorded until it reached the temperature

METHODOLOGY

of 99 C. The first, second and last

distillate were used to test its flammability

A simple distillation apparatus

in a watch glass. The distilling flask was

consists essentially of three parts: a flask

cooled and the volume of the residue was

equipped with a thermometer and with an

recorded.

outlet tube from which the vapor is

temperature then was plotted in a graph

emitted; a condenser that consists of two

and the percentage of alcohol present in

tubes of placed one within the other and

the distillates were computed. On the

so arranged that the smaller (in which the

contrary, the percentage loss was also

vapor is condensed) is held in a stream of

computed.

coolant in the larger; and a vessel in

The

volume

and

the

Distillate
First
Second
Last

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Flame Test
+
+
-

Table 1. Volume and Temperature

Table 2 shows that a positive

of Distillate
TEST

VOLUME

TUBE

(mL)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.0

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

TEMPERATURE

result in the flame test indicates the

(C)

presence of alcohol and a negative result

83
84
84
84
84
85
87
88
88
89
90
91
92
92
93
94
95
95
96
96
97
98
98
99

indicates that there is no alcohol. In the

first and second distillate, a blue with
orange tip flames was produced while the
last distillate did not produce any flame. It
shows that as the distillation continues,
the amount of alcohol decreases.

Table 1 shows that as the volume

of distillate increases, the temperature
also

increase

until

it

reaches

Figure 1. Simple Distillation Setup

the

temperature of 99 C. It shows that the

Figure 1 shows the setup where

volume and temperature are directly

the distillation was held. Since there is no

proportional.

fractionating column present, it is only just

a Simple Distillation setup.

Table 2. Flammability of Distillate

is usually the atmospheric pressure. The

vapor pressure is a very sensitive function
of temperature. It does not increase
linearly but in fact increases exponentially
with temperature, showing that there they
are directly proportional with each other.
When the vapor pressure of the liquid
equals the applied pressure, the liquid
Figure 2. Graph of Temperature and

boils. Thus, the boiling point of a liquid is

Volume of Distillate

the temperature at which the vapor

pressure equals the applied pressure.

Figure 2 shows that as the

The normal boiling point of a liquid is the

mixture is heated, the temperature rises

temperature at which the vapor pressure

until it reaches the temperature of the

of a liquid equals atmospheric pressure

lowest boiling substance in the mixture.

(1 atm). The boiling point of a liquid is a

The resultant hot vapor passes into a

measure of its volatility and its purity.

condenser and is converted to the liquid,

CALCULATIONS

which is then collected in a receiver flask.

The other components of the mixture

%v/v alcohol = Vf - Vi x 100

remain in their original phase until the

Vs

most volatile substance has all boiled off.

Only then does the temperature of the

= 12.0 - 0 x 100

gas phase rises again until it reaches the

30

boiling point of a second component in

the mixture, and so on.

= 40 % alcohol

This is the underlying principle

behind

distillation.

At

any

given

%loss = Vs - (Vd + Vr) x 100

Vs

temperature a liquid is in equilibrium with

its vapor. This equilibrium is described by

= 30 - (12.0 + 12.0) x 100

the vapor pressure of the liquid. The

30

vapor pressure is the pressure that the

molecules at the surface of the liquid
exert against the external pressure, which

= 20 % loss

CONCLUSION

increases,

the

presence

of

alcohol

decreases and also making the mixture

In the experiment, it was fairly

not flammable.

observed the fact that the process of

distillation of simple and fractional are not

REFERENCES

much

Helmenstine, A. (2016). Understand the

principles of distillation. About
education, 1-5. Retrieved from
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/bldi
tillation.htm

different

except

for

the

augmentation of the apparatus of the

fractional distillation. It is known as the
fractionating column that is usually filled
with glass or plastic beads. These beads
improve the separation between the
liquids being distilled. The reason that
fractional

distillation

gives

better

separation between the liquids is because

the glass beads in the fractionating

Natural Ingredient Resource Center.

(2015, May). Boiling points and
distillation. Retrieved from
http://naturalingredient.org/wp/wp-con
tent/uploads/Distillation.pdf
Winkle, M. v. (1967). Mass Transfer
Processes.
In
M. v.
Cinkle,
Distillation. New York: McGraw-Hill.

column provide "theoretical plates" on

which the refluxing liquid can condense,
re-evaporate,

and

condense

again,

essentially distilling the compound over

and

over.

distillation

Other
is

than
simple

that,

simple

process

of

extraction and purifying liquids by heating

and vaporization of the components of
alcohol (vodka) and water. Thus, based
on the experiment, as the temperature
DOCUMENTATION

Yoder, C. (2016). Distillation. Wired

chemist. Retrieved from
http://www.wiredchemist.com/chemist
ry/instructional/laboratory-tutorials/dis
tillation