Question

Explain why flooding the fractionating column will lead to a poor seperation in a fractional distillation? Experiment 2: Distillation

Answer 1

Fractional distillation is a process in which mixtures of different liquids can be separated based on their boiling point. In this process fractionating column is an essential item. It helps to separate the liquid mixtures by cooling the vapours, condense and vaporize again. Therefore there must be present some optimal amount of liquid in the column for the greatest separation of components, smaller or larger volume of liquid in the column means less than optimal separation which leads to poor separations. If the column is flooded then the mixtures will not get enough time to evaporate, before completion of separation of one component the other component will enter to that separated liquid, making again mixtures of liquid.