THE filtration it is a method of separation widely used both in industry and in people's daily lives. It is a method of separation of heterogeneous mixtures which aims to separate the solid component not dissolved in a certain solvent.
THE vacuum filtration, in turn, is a filtration like any other, but it is carried out without the presence of air (hence, the expression “vacuum”), which makes this method much faster than a common filtration. In addition to being faster filtration, the vacuum filtration also features specific laboratory equipment.
See the equipment used in this type of filtration:
→ Kitassato: glass equipment that has a pyramid shape and has two outlets, one on the top and the other on the side.
Equipment used to collect the liquid content in a vacuum filtration
→ Büchner funnel: is a funnel made of porcelain that has several holes, like a sieve.
Funnel used in a vacuum filtration
→ Vacuum pump: it is an electrical equipment capable of creating a vacuum inside a container by pulling the air out of it.
→ Filter paper: paper that is placed inside the Büchner funnel.
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The working process of a vacuum filtration it's very simple. Initially, the vacuum pump is turned on (blue arrow in the image shown below). The vacuum equipment promotes a suction force (yellow arrow) on the side exit of the pump, where a hose that connects the pump to the kit assato is located. The suction force caused on the hose makes the air inside the kit assate begin to be drawn towards the pump. So, after a while, there is no air inside the kitassato. Finally, add the heterogeneous mixture into the büchner funnel. The solid material is retained on the filter paper located inside the buchner funnel and the liquid component falls into the interior of the kit. The following diagram illustrates this description of how vacuum filtration works:
Set of materials for carrying out a vacuum filtration
Vacuum filtration it occurs faster because, when it falls inside the kit, the liquid does not meet the resistance of the air. This filtration process is used when there is not much waiting time or when the heterogeneous mixture has solid particles that are not very large, forming a pasty material.
By Me. Diogo Lopes Dias
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DAYS, Diogo Lopes. "Vacuum filtration"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/filtracao-vacuo.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
