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Difficulty: MediumIndustrial Applications of Separation Methods

Match each industrial process on the left with its corresponding primary separation technique on the right.

  • Production of oxygen gas from atmospheric airLiquefaction under high pressure followed by fractional distillation
  • Refining of crude oil into petrol, kerosene, and diesel fractionsFractional distillation in a column based on hydrocarbon boiling point differences
  • Removal of suspended particulate impurities during municipal water purificationCoagulation with alum followed by filtration through sand beds
  • Recovery of sodium hydrogentrioxocarbonate(IV) in the Solvay processFiltration of precipitated solid crystals from the cold reaction mixture

Answer

Production of oxygen gas matches liquefaction followed by fractional distillation; Refining of crude oil matches fractional distillation based on hydrocarbon boiling point differences; Removal of suspended particulate impurities matches coagulation with alum followed by sand filtration; Recovery of sodium hydrogentrioxocarbonate(IV) matches filtration of precipitated solid crystals.
Industrial separation methods rely on specific physical property differences: atmospheric gases and crude oil fractions are separated by fractional distillation due to boiling point differences; suspended particles in water are settled via coagulation and filtered; and solid precipitate crystals in the Solvay process are separated from liquid by filtration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the industrial separation of atmospheric air into components.
Air consists of gases (N2N_2, ArAr, O2O_2) with very low boiling points. Liquefying the mixture under high pressure and low temperature followed by fractional distillation enables their separation.
Fractional distillation separates miscible substances with distinct boiling points.
2
Analyze the refining process of petroleum (crude oil).
Crude oil is a complex liquid mixture of hydrocarbons separated into fractions (gasoline, kerosene, diesel) inside a fractionating column based on boiling point ranges.
Smaller hydrocarbon molecules vaporize and rise higher up the column than larger molecules with higher boiling points.
3
Examine the municipal water clarification process.
Alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) causes fine suspended mud particles to coagulate into heavy flocs, which are removed as the water passes through sand beds.
Coagulation aggregates fine particles so that mechanical filtration can physically trap them.
4
Determine how solid sodium hydrogentrioxocarbonate(IV) is isolated in the Solvay process.
NaHCO3NaHCO_3 has lower solubility than ammonium chloride in cold water, precipitating out as solid crystals that are separated from the solution by filtration.
Filtration is used to separate insoluble or precipitated solid products from liquid reaction mixtures.

Key Concept

Industrial Applications of Separation Methods
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Industrial Applications of Separation Methods