Mass Transfer - Engineering

Q1:

Steam distillation is used to separate

A azeotropes.

B high boiling substances from nonvolatile impurities.

C heat sensitive materials.

D mixtures of low relative volatility.

ANS:B - high boiling substances from nonvolatile impurities.

Certainly! Steam distillation is an effective method for separating high boiling substances from non-volatile impurities. Here's how it works:

  1. Formation of Vapor Mixture: Steam is passed through a mixture containing the high boiling substance and water. The heat from the steam causes the high boiling substance to vaporize, while the non-volatile impurities remain in the liquid phase.
  2. Vaporization of High Boiling Substance: The high boiling substance, being volatile, vaporizes along with the steam. This creates a vapor mixture containing both the high boiling substance and water vapor.
  3. Separation by Condensation: The vapor mixture is then condensed back into a liquid by cooling. Since the high boiling substance has a lower boiling point compared to water, it condenses separately from the water, allowing for easy separation.
  4. Collection of Distillate: The condensed liquid, which contains the high boiling substance, is collected separately from the non-volatile impurities.
This process effectively separates the high boiling substance from the non-volatile impurities present in the mixture. The non-volatile impurities remain in the liquid phase and do not vaporize along with the high boiling substance, allowing for their easy removal. Overall, steam distillation is a gentle and efficient method for separating high boiling substances from non-volatile impurities, making it particularly useful in industries such as essential oil extraction, flavoring, and fragrance production.