Briefly explain the process of fractional distillation to separate a mixture of the liquids methanol, ethanol and propanol.

Fractional distillation is a process used to separate a mixture of liquids with different boiling points. Here's how you would use it to separate a mixture of methanol, ethanol, and propanol:

1. Preparation: First, you would prepare the mixture in a distillation flask. This flask is connected to a fractional distillation column, which is a long, vertical tube filled with glass beads. These beads increase the surface area for vapor to condense on.

2. Heating: Next, you would heat the mixture. Each of the liquids in the mixture has a different boiling point: methanol boils at around 65°C, ethanol at around 78°C, and propanol at around 97°C.

3. Vaporization and Condensation: As the mixture heats up, the methanol will reach its boiling point first and start to vaporize. The vapor rises up the distillation column and starts to condense on the glass beads. As it condenses, it gives off heat, which causes the vapor above it to condense as well. This creates a temperature gradient in the column, with the hottest temperatures at the bottom (near the flask) and the coolest temperatures at the top.

4. Collection: The methanol vapor will eventually reach the top of the column, where it is cooled and condensed into a liquid. This liquid is then collected in a separate container.

5. Repetition: This process is repeated for the ethanol and propanol. The heat is increased until the ethanol reaches its boiling point and begins to vaporize. The ethanol is then collected in the same way as the methanol. Finally, the heat is increased again to vaporize and collect the propanol.

By using this method, you can effectively separate a mixture of methanol, ethanol, and propanol based on their different boiling points.