How to Size a Distillation Column

Learn to size a distillation column to be sure you use the right equipment for your experiment. Distillation involves the heating of a solution to separate it into its constituent parts. (See References 1) For example, the salt may be removed from salt water by heating the water in a distillation column. The water boils off leaving behind the salt. The amount of material that can be effectively distilled depends on the volume of the hollow column used in the apparatus. This column is cylindrical and its volume depends on its radius and height. (See References 2)

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the height of the distillation column cylinder in inches. For example, the height might be 20.0 inches.

2. Measure the distance around the outside of the cylinder in inches. This is the circumference. (See References 3) Assume a circumference of 8.0 inches for this example.

3. Divide the circumference by 2 times the number pi to get the radius of the cylinder in inches. (See References 3) Radius measure the distance from the center of the cylinder to its side as seen from its circular top or bottom. (See References 4) Use 3.14 for pi. Performing this step leads to 8.0 inches divided by 6.28, or a radius of 1.3 inches.

4. Multiply the number pi times the height times the square of the radius to obtain the volume of the size of the distillation column in cubic inches. (See References 2) Completing the exercise yields 3.14 times 20.0 inches times 1.3 inches times 1,3 inches which equals 106.1 cubic inches.

References

• Newcastle University: Distillation
• Wolfram MathWorld: Cylinder
• Wolfram MathWorld: Circumference
• Wolfram MathWorld: Radius