Question

The liquid air has three components X, Y and Z whose boiling points are : –186°C, –183°C and –196°C,
respectively. When liquid air is fed into a tall fractional distillation column from near its bottom and warmed
up slowly :

(a) Which component will be collected from near the bottom of the fraction distillation column ? Why ?

(b) Which component will be collected from the top part of the fractional distillation column ? Why ?

(c) Which component will be collected from the middle part of the fractional distillation column ? Why ?

(d) What could the component X, Y and Z be ?

Answer 1

1. Y will be collected from the area near the bottom of the fractional distillation column because it has highest boiling point (−183°C).
2. Z will be collected from the top part of the fractional distillation column because it has lowest boiling point (−196°C).
3. X will be collected from the middle part of the fractional distillation column because it has a boiling point −186°C, which is lower than that of Y but higher than that of Z.
4. X is liquid argon, Y is liquid oxygen, and Z is liquid nitrogen.