Distillation
A separation technique that exploits differences in volatility by vaporising a liquid and condensing the vapour in a separate vessel.
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
The component with the lower boiling point enriches the vapour phase, so the distillate is purer in that component. Simple distillation suffices when boiling points differ by more than about 25 °C; closer boiling points demand a fractionating column, and heat-sensitive compounds require reduced pressure.
Examples in the real world
Producing distilled water from tap water, and separating ethanol from a fermented mash at 78 °C.