Distillation is a method for separating or purifying liquids based on their different boiling points. If you do not want to build the distillation device and can afford it, you can purchase a complete installation. That can be expensive, so here is an example of how to set up a distillation machine of standard chemical equipment. You can adjust your settings based on what you have on hand.
Distillation equipment
2 Erlenmeyers
1 1-hole stop that fits in a flask
1 stop with 2 holes that fit into a flask
some plastic tubes
short pieces of glass tube
cold water bath (any container that can contain both cold water and a flask)
cooking sheet
hot plate
thermometer (optional)
If you have them, two plugs of 2 holes are ideal, because then you can place a thermometer in the heated flask. This is useful and sometimes necessary to control the temperature of the distillation. If the temperature of the distillation suddenly changes, it usually means that one of the chemicals in your mixture has been removed.
How to set up the distillation equipment
The liquid that you distil, goes along with a boiling chip in a cup.
This cup is on the hot plate, because this is the liquid that you will heat.
Insert a short length glass tube into a stopper. Connect it to one end of a piece of plastic tube.
Connect the other end of the plastic hose to a short length glass tube inserted into the other stopper. The distilled liquid will pass through this tube to the second bottle.
Insert a short length glass tube into the stopper for the second bottle. It is open to air to prevent pressure build-up in the device.
Place the receiving bottle in a large container filled with ice water. Vapor passing through the plastic tube will immediately condense when it comes into contact with the cooler air of the receiving bottle.
It is a good idea to clamp both flasks to prevent them from accidentally tipping over.
