Distillation and sublimation are both separation techniques, but they are used to separate different types of substances based on their physical properties. Here are the key differences between distillation and sublimation:

1. Process Type:
– Distillation: Distillation is a process used to separate liquids from liquids or liquids from dissolved solids, based on differences in boiling points.
– Sublimation: Sublimation is a process where a solid directly changes into a vapor without passing through the liquid phase.

2. Phase Change:
– Distillation: In distillation, the liquid mixture is heated to its boiling point, and the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes and is then condensed back into a liquid form.
– Sublimation: In sublimation, the solid component directly changes into vapor upon heating, without becoming a liquid first. The vapor then condenses back into solid form upon cooling.

3. Applicability:
– Distillation: Distillation is commonly used for separating liquids with distinct boiling points or for purifying liquids.
– Sublimation: Sublimation is used to separate solids that have the property of sublimation, such as certain types of compounds that readily change from solid to vapor and vice versa.

4. Examples:
– Distillation: Separating ethanol from water, purifying crude oil into its various fractions, and producing distilled beverages like whiskey or vodka.
– Sublimation: Separating iodine from a mixture of iodine and sodium chloride, purifying certain types of organic compounds, and freeze-drying food.

5. Equipment:
– Distillation: Requires a distillation apparatus with a boiling flask, a condenser, and a receiving flask.
– Sublimation: Involves a sublimation apparatus with a container for the solid mixture, a cold surface for vapor condensation, and a collecting surface for the purified solid.

6. Conditions:
– Distillation: Requires a sufficient temperature difference between the boiling points of the components to effectively separate them.
– Sublimation: Requires appropriate temperature and pressure conditions that allow the solid to sublimate and then condense as a pure substance.

In summary, distillation is used to separate liquids based on boiling points, while sublimation is used to separate solids that undergo direct conversion from solid to vapor and back.