A distilling apparatus (or a still) is the equipment used to perform distillation, which is a process for separating components from a liquid mixture by using their different boiling points.
Essentially, it works by:
Heating the liquid mixture until one or more components turn into a vapor.
Cooling the vapor back into a liquid state (condensation).
Collecting the resulting purified liquid, called the distillate, in a separate container
Basic Components of a Simple Distillation Apparatus:
Component
Function
Still Pot (or Boiling Flask)
The main vessel where the liquid mixture is heated.
Heat Source
Provides the energy to boil the liquid (e.g., a burner, heating mantle, or steam).
Condenser
A device, usually cooled by circulating water or air, that lowers the temperature of the vapor, causing it to condense back into a liquid.
Receiving Flask (or Collector)
A separate container to collect and hold the final, purified liquid (distillate).
Thermometer
Measures the temperature of the vapor to ensure only the desired component is boiling and separating.
Common Types of Distillation:
The specific setup changes based on what you’re trying to separate:
Simple Distillation: Used when the liquids have significantly different boiling points (generally 5$>25^\circ\text{C}$ difference) or when separating a liquid from a non-volatile solid.6
Fractional Distillation: Adds a fractionating column between the still pot and the condenser. This column allows for multiple cycles of vaporization and condensation, which is necessary to effectively separate liquids with close boiling points (like in crude oil refining or certain alcohol production).
Vacuum Distillation: Performed under reduced pressure (a vacuum). This lowers the boiling points of the liquids, making it ideal for high-boiling substances or those that might decompose if heated too high.
Steam Distillation: Used to separate heat-sensitive organic compounds (like essential oils from plants) by injecting steam into the mixture.
