Through both simple and fractional distillation an equimolar solution of ethyl acetate and propyl acetate was seperated. After distilling 20 mL of the mixture the samples were collected in fractions, which were then analyzed using gas chromatography. The mole ratios of the distillations were converted to a percentage to analyze percent composition. Simple distillation yielded the following results: S1- 69.88% EA/ 30.12% PA, S2- 66.73% EA/ 33.27% PA, and S3- 46.42% EA, 53.58% PA. Fractional distillation yielded: F1- 82.66% EA/ 17.34% PA, F2- 79.89% EA/ 20.11% PA, F3- 44.50% EA/ 55.50% PA, and 5.65% EA/ 94.35% PA. Comparing S1 to F1 and S2 to F2 shows fractional distillation yields better seperation of the components, giving a higher concentration of the more volatile ethyl
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Fraction 3 begins to show a reverse trend with a higher concentration of ethyl acetate in the simple distillation. This is because more of the ethyl acetate had already been collected in the fractional distillation leaving less in the mixture. Fraction 4 of the simple distillation was not able to be analyzed because the GC did not relay the second peak in its entirety, however, overall composition was similar on both F4 and S4. Fraction 5 for simple distillation did not have both peaks properly added making calculation of the mole fraction impossible, and fraction 5 for fractional distillation did not fully analyze the propyl acetate peak also making calculation impossible. However, based on the larger percentage of ethyl acetate in the first and second fraction it can be inferred the fractional distillation results in a more pure seperation. Also, due to having less ethyl acetate in the fractional distillation remaining after the third fraction (based on more contained in the first two), the last two fractions must have contained a higher purity of propyl acetate than in simple. Therefore, when seperating ethyl acetate from propyl acetate, fractional distillation is the
Fraction 3 begins to show a reverse trend with a higher concentration of ethyl acetate in the simple distillation. This is because more of the ethyl acetate had already been collected in the fractional distillation leaving less in the mixture. Fraction 4 of the simple distillation was not able to be analyzed because the GC did not relay the second peak in its entirety, however, overall composition was similar on both F4 and S4. Fraction 5 for simple distillation did not have both peaks properly added making calculation of the mole fraction impossible, and fraction 5 for fractional distillation did not fully analyze the propyl acetate peak also making calculation impossible. However, based on the larger percentage of ethyl acetate in the first and second fraction it can be inferred the fractional distillation results in a more pure seperation. Also, due to having less ethyl acetate in the fractional distillation remaining after the third fraction (based on more contained in the first two), the last two fractions must have contained a higher purity of propyl acetate than in simple. Therefore, when seperating ethyl acetate from propyl acetate, fractional distillation is the