Short-path distillation is a

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separation process, separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distilla ...

technique that involves the distillate traveling a short distance, often only a few centimeters, and is normally done at reduced pressure. Short-path distillation systems often have a variety of names depending on the manufacturer of the system and what compounds are being distilled within them. A classic example would be a distillation involving the distillate traveling from one glass bulb to another, without the need for a condenser separating the two chambers. This technique is often used for compounds which are unstable at high temperatures or to purify small amounts of compound. The advantage is that the heating temperature can be considerably lower at reduced pressure than the boiling point of the liquid at standard pressure, and the distillate only has to travel a short distance before condensing. A short path ensures that little compound is lost on the sides of the apparatus. The

Kugelrohr A Kugelrohr (German for "ball tube") is a short-path vacuum distillation apparatus typically used to distill relatively small amounts of compounds with high boiling points (usually greater than 300 °C) under greatly reduced pressure. Design ...

is a kind of a short path distillation apparatus which can contain multiple chambers to collect distillate fractions. To increase the evaporation rate without increasing temperature there are several modern techniques that increase the surface area of the liquid such as ''thin film'', ''wiped film or 'wiper' film'', and ''rolled film'' all of which involve mechanically spreading a film of the liquid over a large surface''.''

References

{{Separation processes Distillation Separation processes Laboratory techniques

See also

References