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Chemistry vocabulary · Laboratory Equipment and Techniques

Reflux

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

/ˈriːflʌks/nounCommon term

In chemistry, reflux means: Boiling a reaction mixture for a long time with a condenser fitted on top, so that the vapor condenses and drips back into the flask and no solvent is lost.

In Turkish: geri soğutucu altında kaynatma, refluks

How it is used

Very common in organic synthesis procedures. You heat a mixture 'at reflux' or 'under reflux', reflux it for two hours, or bring it to reflux. The glassware on top is a reflux condenser, usually cooled with running water.

Example sentences

  1. Heat the mixture under reflux for two hours, then let it cool to room temperature.

  2. Check that water is running through the reflux condenser before you turn on the heat.

Common collocations

  • heat under reflux
  • reflux condenser
  • bring to reflux
  • reflux overnight
  • distillationA method of separating or purifying liquids by boiling a mixture and cooling the vapor so that it condenses and is collected separately. It relies on differences in boiling point.
  • solventThe substance, usually a liquid, that dissolves another substance to form a solution. Water is the most common one; ethanol, acetone and hexane are widely used organic ones.
  • chemical reactionA process in which substances change into new substances with different properties, as bonds between atoms break and new bonds form.

More terms: Laboratory Equipment and Techniques

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