What is the difference between distillation and rectification?

 

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Distillation vs. Rectification

What is the difference between distillation and rectificationdifference between distillation and rectification?

1. **Distillation** Distillation is a process that separates components of a liquid mixture based on differences in their boiling points. The mixture is heated to vaporize the components, and then the vapor is cooled and condensed back into liquid form. This process allows for the separation of the components based on their different boiling points.2. **Rectification** Rectification is a specific type of distillation that is used to purify or refine a mixture of liquids with similar boiling points. In rectification, the vaporized components are passed through a fractionating column, where they undergo multiple condensation and vaporization cycles. This helps to increase the separation between the components and improve the purity of the final products.3. **Key Differences** - The main difference between distillation and rectification is the purpose and the level of separation they achieve. Distillation is a general process used to separate components based on boiling points, while rectification is a more specialized form of distillation used for refining mixtures with similar boiling points.- In distillation, the components are separated based on their individual boiling points, without additional refining processes. In rectification, the components are subjected to multiple separation steps in the fractionating column, leading to higher purity levels.- Rectification is often used in industries where high purity levels are required, such as in the production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and alcoholic beverages. Distillation, on the other hand, is a more common process used in various industries for general separation purposes.In conclusion, while distillation and rectification are both processes used for separating components based on boiling points, rectification is a specialized form of distillation that is used for refining mixtures with similar boiling points to achieve higher purity levels.

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