SEPARATION OF ETHANOL FROM VODKA CRUISER BY USING FRACTIONAL

DISTILLATION
Iris Mae D.C. Santos, Maria Denise R. Sarmiento, Marielle Anne O. Sidro, Wyneth Cathryn M.
Tam, Emmanuel Gideon A. Tayoyo, Carl Terence M. Uy, Paula Romana P. Vitug
Group 8 2C Pharmacy Organic Chemistry Laboratory
ABSTRACT
Vodka Cruiser basically contains ethanol and water which was separated by means of fractional distillation. Ten test
tubes were utilized until the temperature reached a temperature of 100 degree Celsius, all having an amount of 0.5
mL distillate. The total volume of distillate collected was 5 mL while the total volume of residue is 19 mL. Thus, 24 mL
was the total amount of substance recovered. The first and last distillates underwent flammability test to test which
contains alcohol, and the first distillate contains alcohol while the last does not. The percentage of ethanol and the
percent loss were also gathered with the results of 1.7% and 20% respectively.

INTRODUCTION
Distillation is a process wherein two or more
liquids separate. The more volatile liquid (the
liquid with the lower boiling point) will typically
evaporate first and the vapor will pass into a
condensing column, where it can revert into a
liquid (condense) on the cool glass where it
trickles into a receiving flask. Heating further will
cause the less volatile liquids to evaporate and
distill at higher temperatures. It is a commonly
used method for purifying liquids and separating
mixtures
of
liquids
into
their
individual
components of desired purity. The two main
methods of distillation are simple distillation and
fractional distillation.
In simple distillation, a liquid is boiled and the
vapors work through the apparatus until they
reach the condenser where they are cooled and
reliquify. Liquids are separated based upon their
differences in boiling point or have at least fifty
degrees difference in their boiling points
Fractional distillation, on the other hand, is
used when mixtures of liquids whose boiling
points are similar (separated by less than 70C)
cannot be separated by a simple distillation. Its
main apparatus consists of a boiling flask,
condenser and in between the two is a
fractionating column. The fractioning column is
usually filled with boiling stones that acts as
theoretical plates on which the refluxing liquid
can condense, re-evaporate, and condense again,
essentially distilling the compound over and over;
and the more volatile liquids will tend to push
towards the top of the fractionating column, while
lower boiling liquids will stay towards the bottom;
thus, resulting to better separation of liquids.
Vodka, the compound tested, is an alcoholic
beverage distilled at a high proof from a
fermented vegetable or grain mash.
This experiment was conducted to separate the
components of the alcoholic beverage by means
of fractional distillation and thus be able to
differentiate simple distillation from fractional
distillation; to determine which method is more

efficient; to calculate the percentage of ethanol

and percent loss; and to test the flammability of
first and last distillate which would indicate the
presence of alcohol.

EXPERIMENTAL
A.COMPOUND TESTED
The sample used was a Vodka Cruiser. It is a
brightly coloured vodka-based alcoholic drink,
with an alcohol content of 4.6%.
B.PROCEDURE
A quick fit fractional distillation apparatus
(Figure 1) was provided to perform the method
fractional distillation. The apparatus consists of
iron stand, iron rings, iron clamps, alcohol lamp,
pear shaped flask (with 30 mL vodka), still head,
thermometer, fractionating column (with boiling
stones), condenser, rubber tubing, and test
tubes. Respective parts of the set up were
properly and carefully assembled. And once the
rubber tubings were placed accordingly, water
was allowed to run along the condenser and stop
cock was opened.

(Figure 1)

Alongside, several test tubes were prepared

and calibrated to 0.5 mL. Since boiling stones

were already incorporated in the distilling flask, a

30 mL Vodka was introduced to the distillation
flask.
The alcohol lamp was lighted and was
continually rotated around the distillation flask
until the vodka started to boil. Every test tube
would contain a 0.5 mL of distillate and collection
of distillate stopped when temperature reached a
constant 100C. Temperature was also constantly
recorded from the first distillate to the last.
Three to five drops of the distillate from the first
test tube was placed on a watch glass and a
lighted match was applied to it. The same was
done to the last distillate to test the flammability
of each. Lastly, volume of the residue and
distillate collected were measured.

%alcohol=

V distillate
x 100
Vsample

( 1 .00.5 )
x 100
30 ml

1.7
B.

loss=

Vsample(Vdistillate+ Vresidue)
Vsample

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1 represents the number of the test tubes
which corresponds that as the total volume of
distillate
increase,
the
temperature
also
increases. Therefore volume and the temperature
are directly proportional.
TEST
TUBE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

VOLUME(mL)

TEMPERATURE(C)

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0

95
95
96
96
96
97
97
98
99
100

0.5 mL (volume) x 10(total number of used test

tube) =5 mL
5 mL (total volume of distillate) + 19 mL (total
volume of residue) = 24 mL
The first distillate is a blue liquid while the last
or the tenth distillate is a clear colorless liquid.
Both distillates are non-flammable.

A.

percent

30(5.0+ 19.0)
x 100
30

20
Thus, the percent ethanol content is 1.7%
while percent loss is 20%. This shows that
some parts of the sample were lost due to
evaporation that was caused by the constant
heating of the flask.

Total volume of fractions of the distillate is 5 mL

(C.1) and the total volume of residue is 19 mL.
Therefore the volume of substance recovered is
24 mL (C.2)

Percentage alcohol and

computed as follows:

loss

were

Fractional distillation has much better

separation between liquids than simple
distillation. Plus, it can more rapidly purify
complex mixtures than simple distillation.
Although fractional distillation also has its
disadvantages like it takes longer time for it
to distill liquids, it has a more complicated
set up, and consumes more energy than the
simple.
REFERENCES
From the internet (on-line)
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http://academics.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/chem2
11lab/Orgo_Lab_Manual/Appendix/Techniques/Fr
actionalDistill/fractional_distill.html
http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distil0.htm
http://www.chemhelper.com/distillation.html

http://orgchem.colorado.edu/Technique/Procedur
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"Distillation." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002.
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Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com
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"Vodka." How Products Are Made. 2000.

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