Separatory funnel

<p>A separatory funnel, also known as a separation funnel, separating funnel, or colloquially sep funnel, is a piece of <a href="/facts/Laboratory_glassware/M4CMuHRh">laboratory glassware</a> used in <a href="/facts/Liquid-liquid_extraction/qVfck5T1">liquid-liquid extractions</a> to separate (<i>partition</i>) the components of a mixture into two <a href="/facts/Miscible/HwQaolbQ">immiscible</a> <a href="/facts/Solvent/LoMPMz8S">solvent</a> phases of different <a href="/facts/Density/92p6hh9I">densities</a>. Typically, one of the phases will be aqueous, and the other a <a href="/facts/Lipophilic/AWpsR8Xe">lipophilic</a> <a href="/facts/Organic_solvent/LoMPMz8S">organic solvent</a> such as <a href="/facts/Diethyl_ether/Ep20vEdj">ether</a>, <a href="/facts/MTBE/A0nL0kHv">MTBE</a>, <a href="/facts/Dichloromethane/mHyeTD2D">dichloromethane</a>, <a href="/facts/Chloroform/gvzuJMXa">chloroform</a>, or <a href="/facts/Ethyl_acetate/om0PFI7S">ethyl acetate</a>. All of these solvents form a clear delineation between the two liquids. The more dense liquid, typically the aqueous phase unless the organic phase is <a href="/facts/Halogenated/vYrGVWcJ">halogenated</a>, sinks to the bottom of the funnel and can be drained out through a valve away from the less dense liquid, which remains in the separatory funnel.
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Separatory funnel open-in-new

Separatory funnel