also dis·til (dĭ-stĭl’)

——————————————————————————–

[Middle English distillen, from Old French distiller, from Latin distillāre, variant of dēstillāre, to trickle, dē-, de-, + stillāre, to drip (from stilla, drop).]

verb: -tilled, also -tilled, -till·ing, -til·ling, -tills, -tils

transitive verb

To subject (a substance) to distillation.

To separate (a distillate) by distillation.

To increase the concentration of, separate, or purify by or as if by distillation.

To separate or extract the essential elements of: distill the crucial points of the book.

To exude or give off (matter) in drops or small quantities.

intransitive verb

To undergo or be produced by distillation.

To fall or exude in drops or small quantities.

The process is relatively simple:

a) the dirty water is heated

b) to the boiling point and thus vaporizes

c) (becomes steam), while other substances remain in solid state, in boiler. Steam is then directed into a cooler

d) where it cools down and returns to liquid water

e) and the end result is a water, purified of additional substances found in it before distillation.

For instance, in the making of whiskey, the mash is fermented, and then it is heated to produce vapors. The vapors are then condensed. The condensate, will be 95% alcohol, 5% water, plus a few flavors, which figures to be 190 proof.

Petroleum goes through a “fractional distillation” process, in which the crude oil is turned into a gas, and different products are condensed at different temperatures. For instance, gasoline condenses at a high temperature, diesel fuel condenses at a lower temperature, and bitumen for asphalt condenses at a still lower temperature.

When it’s not used in a chemical processing sense, to distill is to get the essence of. That is, the political philosophy of Dubya can be distilled down to “I was elected to this office, and therefore, I can do what I see fit, no matter what anyone else says.”

Commercially, distillation has a number of uses. It is used to separate crude oil into more fractions for specific uses such as transport, power generation and heating. Water is distilled to remove impurities, such as salt from sea water. Air is distilled to separate its components – notably oxygen, nitrogen and argon – for industrial use. Distillation of fermented solutions has been used since ancient times to produce distilled beverages with a higher alcohol content.

Petroleum is distilled into its various fractions by progressive heating because the lighter part of it are driven out and recondensed at lower temperatures. When a lighter part is done, what is left is heated to a higher temperature to gassify a heavier part of it and so on.