Alembic

File:Alambik1.jpg

Picture of an alembic from a medieval manuscript

An alembic (from Template:Langx, originating from Template:Langx, 'cup, beaker')<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name="al-anbik">Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> is an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distillation of liquids.

Description

The complete distilling apparatus consists of three parts:

• the "Template:Linktext" (Arabic: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; Greek: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), the still pot containing the liquid to be distilled, which is heated by a flame
• the "head" or "cap" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) which fits over the mouth of the cucurbit to receive the vapors, with an attached downward-sloping "tube" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}})
• the "receiver" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) container

In the case of another distilling vessel, the retort, the "cap" and the "cucurbit" have been combined to form a single vessel. The anbik<ref> The complete distilling apparatus consists of three parts: the "cucurbit" (ḳarʿa), the "head" or "cap" (anbīḳ) and the "receiver" (ḳābila). </ref> is also called the raʾs (the Arabic word raʾs means "head") of the cucurbit. The liquid in the cucurbit is heated or boiled; the vapour rises into the anbik, where it cools by contact with the walls and condenses, running down the spout into the receiver. A modern descendant of the alembic is the pot still, used to produce distilled beverages.

History

File:Alembics from Andreas Libavius Alchymia.png

Alembics from a 1606 alchemy book

Dioscorides's ambix, described in his {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (c. 50 C.E.), is a helmet-shaped lid for gathering condensed mercury. For Athenaeus (c. 225 C.E.) it is a bottle or flask. For later chemists it denoted various parts of crude distillation devices.

Alembic drawings appear in works of Cleopatra the Alchemist (3rd century C.E.), Zosimos of Panopolis (c. 300 C.E.), and Synesius (c. 373 – c. 414 C.E.). There were alembics with two (dibikos) and three (tribikos) receivers.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> According to Zosimos of Panopolis, the alembic was invented by Mary the Jewess.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

The anbik is described by Ibn al-Awwam in his {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Book of Agriculture), where he explains how rose-water is distilled. Amongst others, it is mentioned in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Key of Sciences) of Khwarizmi and the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Book of Secrets) of al-Razi. Some illustrations occur in the Latin translations of works which are attributed to Geber.<ref name="al-anbik" />

• Zosimosapparat.jpg

  Alembic of Zosimos of Panopolis

• Alembic (PSF).jpg

  Modern alembic

• AlambicCharentaisChalvignacPrulhoDistillation.jpg

  Large "charentais" type alembic for distilling spirits

• Alambique 056.jpg

  Copper retort

• Alembic.jpg

  Glass alembic

• Chemical Faculty of TUG, staircase.jpg

  Alembic metalwork in the staircase at the Chemical Faculty of Gdańsk University of Technology, 1904

Unicode

The Unicode character set specifies three symbols for alembics: the pictogram ⚗ (Template:Tt), its emoji variation ⚗️ (Template:Tt), and the ancient alchemical symbol 🝪 (Template:Tt).

See also

• Aludel

External links

• Template:Wiktionary-inline