Reflux and Distillation

Can someone please explain to me what both of these are but mainly reflux? Also why are they used?

In distillation apparatus; A primary alcohol is oxidised to form an aldehyde and this product is distilled immediately.

In a reflux; A primary alcohol is oxidised to form an aldehyde and the aldehyde is further oxidised to form a carboxylic acid. (the aldhehyde cannot escape the further oxidation)

Reply 2

Manifest

mysteryman

Can someone please explain to me what both of these are but mainly reflux? Also why are they used?

Reflux: When you perform an experiment in a closed vessel/condenser, instead of allowing the vapours evapourate, you make it flow back. I.e from gas back to liquid. The process is called refluxing. You might have heard heated under reflux meaning backward flow for further reaction. A typical example is what V.p described above.

Distillation: is when liquids are boiled and the vapours produced are being condensed so as to obtain a degree of purity...example, distillation of water is done by boiling and condensing its vapour. ( you get distilled water)

Basically, both requires heating and it releases vapours. While vapours are allowed/forced to flow back in reflux, they are collected in distillation instead.

Reply 3

Prang

Yep. Both are heated to their boiling point and condensed.
Reflux: the condensate drips back into the original flask (often used to speed up a reaction by heating them to higher than their bp)

Distillation: the condensate drips into a different flask (used for purification quite often)

Reply 4

mysteryman

Ok i understand all of that. But in reflux the apparatus are positioned upright and water is allowed to flow upwards or downwards? And in distillation what is the apparatus setup like. Sorry for this but i need to improve my organic chem practical skills. Thanks