Fractional distillation is a technique in which several distillations occur in the same column, mediated by some sort of porous medium. It allows the separation of substances with closer boiling points than simple distillation, and also makes the distillation of the same solutions more efficient. Fractional distillation yields better separation in comparison to simple distillation due to few factors. One is that the distillation column is usually packed with copper, stool wire or glass beads. This increases the surface area, which enables efficient and continuous vaporization and condensation by exchanging heat between the vapor and the condensate.
