- Retort
In a
chemistry laboratory, a retort is a glassware device used fordistillation ordry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck. Theliquid to be distilled is placed in the vessel and heated. The neck acts as a condenser, allowing the evaporated vapors to condense and flow along the neck to a collection vessel placed underneath.In the chemical industry, a retort is an airtight vessel in which substances are heated for a chemical reaction producing gaseous products to be collected in a collection vessel or for further processing.
History
Retorts were widely used by alchemists, and images of retorts appear in many drawings and sketches of their laboratories. Before the advent of modern condensers, retorts were used by many prominent chemists, such as Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber),
Antoine Lavoisier andJöns Berzelius .Role in analytical chemistry
In
laboratory use, due to advances in technology, especially the invention of theLiebig condenser , retorts have largely been rendered obsolete. However, somelaboratory techniques that involve simple distillation and do not require sophisticated apparatus may use a retort as a substitute for more complex distillation equipment.ee also
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Alembic
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