Question

In the set-up for microscale distillation, the water condenser is positioned above the Hickman distillation column where the product is being collected. In a simple or fractional microscale distillation, the water condenser is between the distillation column and collecting flask.

Why does this different microscale arrangement work?

Explain how your products wind up in the Hickman’s collection well; visualize what is happening at the molecular level.

Answer 1

The water condenser is positioned above the Hickman distillation column to get good results in micro scale distillations and to avoid long distillation paths which will leads to loss of actual material during distillation.

In these type of advanced techniques the Hickman distillation head shall be used as the receiving device for the distilled liquid.

During this process the heated liquid shall be raised upwards to the condenser and collected again and will be fall down through the walls of the Hickman head or the condenser. Finally it will collects in circular well at the bottom of the still.

Whereas in simple distillation the condenser shall be arranged in-between the column and collector, these techniques were not suitable for micro scale distillations