Question

In the refining of petroleum, in a fractionating column, the principle use is ________.

• A. difference in melting points
• B. difference in boling points
• C. diffrence in freezing points
• D. difference in densities

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

difference in boling points

A fractional column is an essential item used in the distillation of liquid mixtures so as to separate the mixture into its component parts, or fractions, based on the differences in volatilities. Industrial fractionating columns have outlets at intervals up the column so that multiple products having different boiling ranges may be withdrawn from a column distilling a multi-component feed stream. The lightest products with the lowest boiling points exit from the top of the columns and the heaviest products with the highest boiling points exit from the bottom.