What is fractionation?

• A. A process where refrigerant settles into layers
• B. A process of mixing refrigerants evenly
• C. A process of heating refrigerants
• D. A process of cooling refrigerants rapidly

Answer: (A)

Fractionation is the separation of components in a refrigerant blend as it undergoes phase change. In non-azeotropic blends, the different boiling points cause the more volatile component to vaporize first, leaving the liquid richer in the higher-boiling-point component. As this happens, the fluids can separate by density and form distinct layers within parts of the system. That layering is what fractionation describes, which is why “a process where refrigerant settles into layers” is the best description. The other options describe simply mixing, heating, or rapid cooling, which do not capture the separation of components into layers.