Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatility of

components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical

separation process, and not a chemical reaction.
Commercially, distillation has a number of applications. 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 seawater. Air is distilled to
separate its componentsnotably 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. The premises where distillation is carried out,
especially distillation of alcohol, are known as a distillery. A still is the apparatus used
for distillation.
Decantation is a process for the separation of mixtures, by removing a top layer of liquid
from which a precipitate has settled. Usually a small amount of solution must be left in
the container, and care must be taken to prevent a small amount of precipitate from
flowing with the solution out of the container. It is frequently used to purify a liquid by
separating it from a suspension of insoluble particles (e.g. in red wine, where the wine is
decanted from the potassium bitartrate crystals). For example, to obtain a sample of
clear water from muddy water, muddy water is left in a container until the mud settles,
and then the clear water is poured into another container.
A mixture of two immiscible liquids can also be separated by decantation. For example,
the oil and water extracted from fish may be decanted to obtain the oil. A mixture of
kerosene and water can also be separated through decantation.
A centrifuge may be useful in successfully decanting a solution. The centrifuge causes
the precipitate to be forced to the bottom of the container; if the force is high enough, the
precipitate may form a compact solid. Then the liquid can be more easily poured away,
as the precipitate will likely remain in its compressed form. A mixture of an insoluble solid
in liquid is allowed to stand. The solid is insoluble and settles at the bottom if kept
undisturbed for some time. This process is called sedimentation. The clear liquid is then
poured off carefully. This process is called decantation.
Another example of decantation is the regeneration of used chiral stationary phase
(CSP). The CSP to be decanted is gently mixed in a container with a compatible solvent
to form a suspension. The suspension is allowed to rest for a period of time, after which
the supernatant is carefully poured off. The supernatant contains the undesirable
constituents of the former suspension, while the leftover sediment in the container is
clean, reusable CSP. Decantation should be done directly after sedimentation.