Azeotrope

An azeotrope is a mixture of two or more liquids that behaves like a single substance when boiled, maintaining the same composition in the vapor and liquid phases. This means it boils at a constant temperature, unlike other mixtures that separate into different components upon boiling. Azeotropes are important in chemistry and industry because they can complicate processes like purification through distillation, as the mixture’s composition cannot be separated by usual boiling techniques. Different combinations of liquids can form azeotropes, which are used beneficially or need to be overcome depending on the desired outcome.