Separation of Components of a Mixture: Most of the time, the substances we see are not in their purest form. Substances like Minerals, clay, soil, milk, mineral water, ocean, ghee, juice, and other natural substances do not consist of chemical purity. Hence, the substances are split into independent components using several separation techniques. 

Solvents, Filtration, Sublimation, Magnet, Evaporation, Crystallisation, Distillation, Fractional distillation, Chromatography, Centrifugation, and separating funnel are some of the physical processes commonly used to separate the constituents of mixtures. The need for separation is usually done to remove all the unwanted materials and obtain valuable components. Continue reading the article to learn more about the method of separation of components from a mixture and more.

Methods of Separation of Components From a Mixture

Various separation methods are used to separate individual components from a mixture. Separation enables you to evaluate and use individual components of a mixture. Handpicking, sieving and filtration are common physical methods for separating heterogeneous mixtures into their constituents. Separation of the components of a mixture may necessitate the use of specialised techniques at times.
Solvents, Filtration, Sublimation, Magnet, Centrifugation, Evaporation, Crystallisation, Distillation, Fractional distillation, Chromatography, and separating funnel are some of the physical processes commonly used to separate the constituents of mixtures. In some cases, a mixture is separated using more than one of these processes.
To learn how to separate mixtures, we will look at the following three scenarios:

1. Mixture of two solids
2. Mixture of a solid and a liquid
3. Mixture of two liquids

Method of Separation of Components From a Mixture Two Solids

All mixtures containing two solid substances can be separated using one of the methods listed below:
i. Using a suitable solvent
ii. Using a magnet
iii. Using the sublimation process
Let’s now understand the method of separating solid-solid mixtures by using the sublimation process in detail.

Separation using Solvent

In some cases, one component of the mixture is soluble in a particular liquid solvent while the other component is insoluble therein. This difference in solubility of the components in the mixture can be used to separate them. For example, sugar is soluble in water, but sand is insoluble in water, so water can be used as a solvent to separate a mixture of sugar and sand.

Application

1. It is used to separate a mixture of sugar and sand.
2. A mixture of common salt and sand can also be separated by this method.
3. It is used to separate a mixture of sulphur and sand.

Separation by a Magnet

A magnet can be used to separate a mixture that contains iron as one of its constituents. A magnet, for example, can be used to separate iron and sulphur powder. This is because iron is attracted to magnets, but sulfur is not attracted to magnets.

Separation by Sublimation

A few substances change directly from solid-state to vapour state when heated, without undergoing into a liquid state. This process is known as Sublimation. The solid substance that sublimates is referred to as ‘sublime.’ Sublimation is a technique used to separate substances from a mixture that sublimes when heated. The solid substance formed by cooling the vapours is referred to as ‘sublimate.’ Substances such as ammonium chloride, iodine, camphor, naphthalene, and anthracene sublime when heated and can be recovered as a sublimate by cooling their vapours. Therefore, ammonium chloride, iodine, camphor, naphthalene, and anthracene can be separated from the mixture by Sublimation.
For example,
To separate a mixture of common salt and ammonium chloride, a sublimation process is used as follows:
Ammonium chloride sublimes when heated, while table salt does not sublimate when heated. Therefore, we can separate the ammonium chloride from the “table salt and ammonium chloride” mixture by Sublimation. This is done as follows.
A mixture of sodium chloride and ammonium chloride is placed in a china dish on a stand. Cover the china with an inverted glass funnel. A loose cotton swab is placed on the open top of the funnel to prevent ammonium chloride vapour from escaping. The china dish is heated with a burner. When the mixture is heated, the ammonium chloride turns into white vapour. These vapours rise and convert to solid ammonium chloride in contact with the cold inner walls of the funnel. Thus, pure ammonium chloride accumulates on the inner sides of the funnel in sublimation form and can be removed. When heated, ordinary salt does not turn into steam. Therefore it remains on china dishes, so the mixture is divided into two components: ammonium chloride and table salt.

Separation of Components of a Mixture of a Solid and a Liquid

All the mixtures containing a solid and a liquid are separated by one of the following processes:

I. By centrifugation
II. By distillation
III. By chromatography
IV. By filtration
V. By crystallization
VI. By evaporation

Separation by Centrifugation

Centrifugation is a method of separating suspended matter from a liquid in which the mixture rotates at high speed in a centrifuge.
During centrifugation, a mixture of fine particles suspended in a liquid is placed in a test tube. The tube is placed in a centrifuge and rotated rapidly for some time. When the mixture rotates quickly, the force acts on the heavier mixture. Particles suspended in it are drawn to the test tube’s bottom. On top of the transparent liquid, a lighter liquid remains.

Applications

1. We can separate the clay debris suspended in water very swiftly through the approach of centrifugation.
2. To separate cream from milk, centrifugation method is used.

Separation by Distillation

Distillation is the process of heating a liquid to form a vapour and then cooling the vapour to recover the liquid. Distillation can be represented as follows:

The liquid obtained by condensing the vapour is called ‘distillate.’ When a homogeneous mixture of solids and liquids is heated in a sealed distillation flask, the liquid evaporates to form a vapour. The vapours of the liquid pass through a “condenser,” where they are cooled and condensed to form a clear liquid. This clean liquid is collected in a separate container. The solid, non-volatile substance remains in the distillation flask.

Application

1. A mixture of table salt and water can be completely separated by distillation.
2. Distillation is used to obtain drinking water from seawater in many countries.

Separation by Chromatography

Chromatography is a technique for separating two (or more) dissolved solids that are present in a solution in very small quantities. There are many kinds of chromatography, but the simple form is paper chromatography. By the use of paper chromatography, we can separate two (or more) different substances present in the same solution. This separation is primarily based totally on the fact that though two (or more) materials are soluble in the same solvent (say, water), their solubilities can be unique.

Applications

1. The chromatographic method is used to separate solutions of coloured substances (dyes and pigments).
2. Chromatography is used in forensic medicine to detect and identify traces of substances (such as toxins) in the bladder or stomach.
3. Chromatography is used to separate small amounts of chemical reactions.

Separation by Filtration

The process of removing insoluble solids from a liquid using filter paper is called filtration. A heterogeneous mixture of solids and liquids can be separated by filtration. Filtration is used to separate insoluble substances from liquid. The mixture of insoluble solids and the liquid is poured into a filter paper cone fixed in a funnel by using a glass rod as a guide. The liquid passes through filter paper and collects in a beaker under the funnel. The solids do not pass through the filter paper and remain behind the filter paper. The solid that remains on the filter paper is called sediment. The resulting liquid is called the filtrate. Thus, a mixture of solids that do not dissolve in a liquid is separated into a “solid” and a “clear liquid”.

Applications

1. Filtration process is used to separate a mixture of chalk and water.
2. Filtration method is used to separate a mixture of sand and water.

Separation by Crystallisation

The process of obtaining crystals by cooling a hot concentrated solution of a substance is called crystallization. The crystallization process is used to obtain a pure solid material from an impure sample.
This is done as follows:
I. It dissolves an impure solid substance in a minimal amount of water to form a solution.
ii. Filter the solution to remove insoluble impurities.
iii. Gently heat the clear solution on a water bath until a concentrated or saturated solution is obtained. Then stop heating.
iv. Slowly cool the hot saturated solution.
v. Pure solid crystals are formed. The impurities remain dissolved in the solution.
vi. Pure solid crystals are isolated by filtration and dried.

Application

1. This method is used to obtain pure copper sulphate from an impure sample.
2. Common salt can be purified by the process of crystallization.

Separation by Evaporation

The changing of a liquid into vapours is called evaporation. Evaporation is used to separate solid substances dissolved in water (or other liquids). When all the water (or liquid) evaporates, the dissolved substance remains as a solid residue. The use of evaporation processes to separate mixtures is based on the fact that liquids vaporize readily, whereas solids do not.

Applications

1. The common salt dissolved in water can be separated by the process of evaporation.
2. The evaporation process is used for recovering dissolved solid substances from liquid mixtures, but the liquid itself cannot be recovered by this method.
3. This process is used to obtain coloured components from ink.

Separation of Components of a Mixture of Two or More Liquids

All mixtures containing two or more liquids can be separated by one of the following two methods:
I. By the process of fractional distillation
II. By using a separating funnel

Separation by Fractional Distillation

The process of distilling two (or more) miscible liquids and collecting the distillate in fractions boiling at different temperatures is known as fractional distillation. The process of fractional distillation can separate a mixture of two miscible liquids. The difference in boiling points between two liquids determines fractional distillation separation. Fractional distillation is completed with the aid of using the usage of a fractionating column. A fundamental fractionating column includes an extended vertical glass tube full of glass beads. The glass beads offer a massive floor place for warm vapours to repeatedly cool and condense. The fractionating column is installed in the neck of the distillation flask that contains the liquid mixture to be separated.

Application

1. Fractional distillation is used in the laboratory to separate mixtures of miscible liquids (such as alcohol-water mixtures or acetone-water mixtures).
2. Fractional distillation is used to separate crude oil “petroleum” into useful fractions such as kerosene, gasoline, diesel, etc.
3. Fractional distillation is used to separate gases from the air.

Separation by a Separating Funnel

A mixture of two liquids that are not mixed can be separated using a separating funnel. A separating funnel is a special type of funnel that has a stopper on the trunk to allow or stop the flow of liquid. The separation of the two immiscible liquids by the separation funnel depends on the difference in density.

Application

1. A separating funnel is used to separate a mixture of water and kerosene.
2. A separating funnel is also used to separate a mixture of petrol and water.

Separation of Components of a Mixture: Summary

Handpicking, sieving and filtration are common physical methods for separating heterogeneous mixtures into their constituents. Separation of the components of a mixture may necessitate the use of specialised techniques at times. Sublimation, magnet separation, solvents separation, filtration, centrifugation, evaporation, crystallisation, chromatography, distillation, fractional distillation, and separating funnel are some of the physical processes commonly used to separate the constituents of mixtures. Separation allows you to study and use individual components of a mixture.

FAQs on Separation of Components of a Mixture

Here we have provided frequently asked questions Separation of COmponents of a Mixture:

Q.1. What is the Separation of Components of a Mixture?
Ans: Separation of components of a mixture is used to obtain pure substances from a mixture of undesired substances. Separation allows you to study and use individual components of a mixture.

Q.2. What are the 10 methods of separating components of a mixture?
Ans: The 10 methods of separating components of a mixture are as follows:
1) Sublimation
2) Magnetic separation
3) By centrifugation
4) By distillation
5) By chromatography
6) By filtration
7) By crystallization
8) By evaporation
9) By separating funnel
10) Separation by using a suitable solvent

Q.3. What are the examples of separating mixtures?
Ans: Following are the examples of separating mixtures:
1) Evaporation: The common salt dissolved in water can be separated by the process of evaporation.
2) Distillation: Fractional distillation is used to separate gases from the air.
3) Chromatography: Chromatographic method used to separate solutions of coloured substances (dyes and pigments).
4) Crystallisation: This method is used to obtain pure copper sulphate from an impure sample.

Q.4. What are the six methods of separating mixtures?
Ans: The six methods of separating mixtures are as follows:
1) Sublimation
2) Distillation
3) Chromatography
4) Evaporation
5) Crystallisation
6) Filtration

Q.5. What are the two types of mixtures?
Ans: There are two types of mixtures. They are Homogeneous mixtures and Heterogeneous mixtures.

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