= Separation process
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A <separation process> divides a mixture into streams with different compositions by exploiting a difference in physical or chemical behaviour. Distillation uses volatility, filtration uses particle or pore-scale exclusion, and <solvent extraction> uses partitioning between phases. Separation need not create chemically pure products, and recovery of one component can trade against its purity. A <mass balance> relates feed and product streams; thermodynamics and transport determine which separations are feasible and how rapidly they proceed.
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