Fractional Distillation
Contents
Key Stage 4
Meaning
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:
- Separating a solution to recover multiple solvents.
Fractional Distillation cannot be used for:
- Separating two solutes from each other in solution - Chromatography
- Separating an insoluble solid from a soluble solid - Filtration
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 separated during fractional distillation are:
- Natural Gas
- LPG
- Gasoline
- Diesel
- Kerosene
- Fuel Oil
- Lubricating Oil
- Bitumen