Chemical Separations Purdue University
One of the most important and timeconsuming activities in chemistry involves isolating, separating, and purifying chemical compounds. Extraction (literally, "taking out by force") is a useful technique for separating compounds such as I 2 and KMnO 4 that have different polarities. The compounds to be separated are treated with a mixture of a polar solvent (such as H 2 O) and a nonpolar ...