Distillation Organic Chemistry in Todays World

Distillation Organic Chemistry in Today's WorldDistillation is a method used by organic chemists to separate liquids and solids by the passage of heated vapors through a filter. The process is based on the principle that the mass of the liquid stays the same while the amount of the solid remains different.Distillation works well for many purposes including drug development, pharmaceutical testing, and extracting water from liquids. It has proved its worth in these areas because it has enabled the chemicals to be separated in their purest form. This would have been impossible without the addition of the distillation process. Here are a few of the ways it can help organic chemists.Phytochemicals. The production of these chemicals takes place in small amounts in nature and only happens occasionally. However, with distillation they can be extracted at a much higher rate.Oil Extraction. With the growing use of fossil fuels, the production of some compounds has been severely affected. In t his case, distillation provides an alternative method for extraction that is less environmentally harmful.Carbon Dioxide (CO2). In the normal cycle of nature, the CO2 created by photosynthesis is recycled back into the atmosphere. When this happens, the CO2 in the air becomes a pollutant and is converted into other gases such as CO2.Ocean Water. When oil is extracted from underground sources, the deposits are usually heavily mineralized. However, with distillation, the water which is produced in this way can be removed from the deposits and used to fertilize various types of plants.When used correctly, distillation can provide a solution to a complex chemical problem. The different methods it is applied to range from those in the pharmaceutical industry to those used for industrial processing.