A distillation column is a common piece of equipment used in the chemical industry for separating liquid mixtures into their individual components based on differences in boiling points. The column operates by utilizing the principle of fractional distillation, which takes advantage of the varying boiling points of the components in the mixture. The distillation column consists of a tall vertical tower packed with trays or packing material. The mixture to be separated is fed into the column at the bottom and heated. As the mixture heats up, the components with lower boiling points vaporize first and rise up the column through the packing material. The vapor is then cooled as it reaches higher trays in the column, causing the individual components to condense back into a liquid state. The condensed liquids are collected on trays located at various levels in the column, with each tray collecting a specific component based on its boiling point. The purified components are then removed from the trays at different heights within the column. Through the continuous process of vaporization, condensation, and collection, a distillation column can efficiently separate a wide range of liquid mixtures into their individual components, making it a crucial tool in the chemical and petrochemical industries.