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When Vacuum Distillation is Useful
Industrial distillation can be achieved in a variety of ways. If the
elements of your solution have distinct vapor pressures and boiling points, a basic distillation system
might be all you need. However, vacuum distillation is the perfect solution when you have
elements that decompose when heated at atmospheric pressure – or – that have high boiling
points and would have high system heating requirements.
Vacuum distillation is the process of lowering the pressure in the column above the solvent to less
than the vapor pressure of the mixture, creating a vacuum, and causing the elements with lower
vapor pressures to evaporate off. Lowering the pressure below atmospheric results in
lower temperature requirements to achieve evaporation for elements of the distillate, lowering overall
heating requirements for the system.
Of course, there are trade-offs – while you can reduce the system temperature requirements, you do
have to add equipment (usually a pump) to create the vacuum inside the distillation column. This is
where an experienced distillation system designer is a big help; determining which trade-offs in
method and equipment will result in the biggest savings overall.
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Example case of a system using a slight vacuum to lower column temperature requirements
More about distillation column design basics (infographic)
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distillation, distillation column, distillation system, vacuum distillation