Separation of substances

 

The separation technique is a method in which mass transfer takes place and converts a mixture of substances into two or more substances. Examples: handpicking, winnowing, threshing, sedimentation, filtration etc. Two or more substances which are separated using various methods of separation can be useful or useless.

Methods Of Separating Mixtures

Some of the common methods of separating substances or mixtures are:

• Handpicking
• Threshing
• Winnowing
• Sieving
• Evaporation
• Distillation
• Filtration or Sedimentation
• Separating Funnel
• Magnetic Separation
• The most common method of separating a liquid from an insoluble solid is the filtration. Take, for example, the mixture of sand and water. Filtration is used here to remove solid particles from the liquid. Various filtering agents are normally used like filtering paper or other materials.
• Sedimentation is a process by which heavier impurities present in liquid normally water settle down at the bottom of the container containing the mixture. The process takes some amount of time.