Open main menu

Fractional Distillation

Key Stage 4

A set of equipment for distillation of 'essential oils'.

Meaning

A diagram of a Fractional Distillation tower used to separate different oils in Crude Oil.

Fractional distillation is a technique which can be used to separate two or more solvents from solution.

About Fractional Distillation

Fractional Distillation can be used for:

Fractional Distillation cannot be used for:

About the Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil

Crude Oil is separated using fractional distillation.
Fractional distillation is used to separate the different fractions of crude oil which each have different boiling points.
Fractional Distillation relies on the different boiling points of liquids. By heating all liquids beyond their Boiling Point they can be turned into a gas. Each gas can then be cooled and condensed in tubes kept just below the boiling point of each fraction.
The fractions of crude oil which can be separated during fractional distillation are:

References

AQA

Fractional distillation of crude oil, pages 144-5, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
Fractional distillation, page 18, 76, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Fractional distillation, page 24, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
Fractional distillation, pages 10, 150-151, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
Fractional distillation, pages 137, 139, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
Fractional distillation, pages 19, 230-1, 263, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Fractional distillation, pages 40, 191, 192, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
Fractional distillation, pages 40, 223, 224, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA
Fractional distillation; of crude oil, pages 173-4, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA

Edexcel

Fractional distillation, pages 100, 137, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Fractional distillation, pages 103, 253, 254, 302, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel
Fractional distillation, pages 11, 152-153, 177, 190, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel
Fractional distillation, pages 155, 266-267, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
Fractional distillation, pages 37, 87, 103, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Fractions (of crude oil), pages 253-256, 262, 263, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel
Fractions (of distillation), page 177, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel

OCR

Fractional distillation, pages 100, 141, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Fractional distillation, pages 27, 92, Gateway GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Fractional distillation, pages 45, 238-239, Gateway GCSE Chemistry, Oxford, OCR