Azeotropic Distillation

Azeotropic distillation is a process used to separate liquids that form an azeotrope—meaning they boil together at a specific ratio, making them difficult to separate by normal distillation. In this process, an additional substance, called an entrainer, is added to alter the mixture’s boiling behavior. This change allows the different components to vaporize separately, enabling more effective separation. It is commonly used in chemical manufacturing where high purity is needed for mixtures that naturally resist traditional separation methods, ensuring the desired components can be isolated efficiently.