fractional distillation

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. the separation of volatile components of different boiling points in a mixture by the gradual increase of temperature and the separate collection of each component.

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fractional distillation British  

noun

1. the process of separating the constituents of a liquid mixture by heating it and condensing separately the components according to their different boiling points

2. a distillation in which the vapour is brought into contact with a countercurrent of condensed liquid to increase the purity of the final products

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fractional distillation Scientific  

1. A process by which a chemical compound is separated into components by distillation. In fractional distillation the compound is heated and, as each of its constituent components comes to a boil, its vapors are separated and cooled, so it can be removed in its pure form. Fractional distillation is used to refine petroleum.

2. See also distillation

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Etymology

Origin of fractional distillation

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Jet fuel is essentially a highly refined form of kerosene with specialised additives, and is usually produced from fractional distillation of crude oil.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Nobody who bought Standard Oil stock could explain fractional distillation either.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 28, 2025

Ethylene, C2H4, a byproduct from the fractional distillation of petroleum, is fourth among the 50 chemical compounds produced commercially in the largest quantities.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

If you clean, through fractional distillation, the coolant in the equipment, you restore it to its previous - identical to brand new- chemical composition.

From New York Times • Oct. 16, 2016

The first step in the operations is fractional distillation, after the manner just described for petroleum.

From Marvels of Scientific Invention An Interesting Account in Non-technical Language of the Invention of Guns, Torpedoes, Submarine Mines, Up-to-date Smelting, Freezing, Colour Photography, and many other recent Discoveries of Science by Corbin, Thomas W.