The two most elementary forms of distillation are a continuous
http://www.answers.com/topic/equilibrium-flash-vaporization and a
simple http://www.answers.com/topic/batch-distillation. In a
continuous equilibrium distillation, a continuously flowing liquid
feed is heated or reduced in pressure (flashed) so as to cause
partial vaporization. The vapor and liquid disengage while flowing
through an open drum, and the products emerge as vapor and liquid
streams. The vapor product can be condensed to form a liquid
distillate. It is also possible to use a vapor feed, subjected to
cooling and thereby
http://www.answers.com/topic/partial-condensation, again followed
by http://www.answers.com/topic/disengagement of the resultant
vapor and liquid in an open drum. In a simple batch distillation,
an entire batch of liquid is initially charged to a vessel and is
then heated, typically by http://www.answers.com/topic/condensation
of steam inside a metal http://www.answers.com/topic/coil within
the vessel. Vapor is thereby continuously generated, and may be
condensed to form a liquid distillate, which is collected. In the
batch distillation, increments of vapor are formed in equilibrium
with all liquid compositions ranging from the original to the
final, whereas the continuous equilibrium distillation gives vapor
in equilibrium with only the final liquid composition. Since the
distillate consists primarily of the more volatile components and
the feed liquid contains more of these substances than does the
final liquid, the simple batch distillation gives a more
http://www.answers.com/topic/enrichment distillate than does the
continuous equilibrium distillation.