Condenser (laboratory)#Liebig condenser

The Liebig condenser is a laboratory chiller that brings vapors to condense and forwards in a tube. Inventor of the Liebig condenser is not - as the name suggests - Justus Liebig; The condenser was used before Liebig. However, Liebig has made him popular.

Design and operation

A Liebig condenser is open at both ends of tube which is surrounded by a larger tube. Between inner and outer tube, the cooling water flows in the inner tube, the steam flows and the distillate. Since the water has a temperature lower than the distillate is cooled by this, so that it condenses on the wall of the inner tube. The direction of flow of steam / distillate and cooling water is opposite. Characterized according to the counterflow principle, the cooling effect is greater than in the case of the same direction of flow. See also: counter-current distillation and counter flow cooler

The apparatus works only fully if it is slightly inclined to the horizontal position. Thus, thanks to the force of gravity, the distillate in the inner tube to flow down.

Application

Liebig condenser is used in the laboratory especially for distillation of liquids, even under high vacuum. The distillation of liquids with low boiling points, such as diethyl ether, the Liebig condenser is not suitable because of its very small area cooling. In such cases, intensive cooler be used better.