FRACTIONATION

Fractionation

Fractionation is a separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture is divided up in a number of smaller quantities in which the composition varies according to a gradient. Fractions are collected based on differences in a specific property of the individual components. A common trait in fractionations is the need to find an optimum between the amount of fractions collected and the desired purity in each fraction. Fractionation makes it possible to isolate more than two components in a mixture in a single run. This property sets it apart from other separation techniques.

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fractionation

Noun

  1. A separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture is divided up into smaller quantities (fractions) in which the composition changes according to a gradient.
    Methane is separated from other hydrocarbons in a gas fractionation plant.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: fractionation
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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