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In achemistry laboratory, aretort is a device used fordistillation ordry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck. Theliquid to be distilled is placed in the vessel and heated. The neck acts as acondenser, allowing the vapors to condense and flow along the neck to a collection vessel placed underneath.[1]
In thechemical industry, aretort is an airtight vessel in which substances are heated for a chemical reaction producing gaseous products to be collected in a collection vessel or for further processing. Such industrial-scale retorts are used in shale-oil extraction, in the production ofcharcoal and in the recovery ofmercury ingold-mining processes or fromhazardous waste. A process of heatingoil shale to produceshale oil,oil shale gas, andspent shale is commonly calledretorting. Airtight vessels to apply pressure as well as heat are calledautoclaves.
In thefood industry,pressure cookers are often referred to as "retorts", meaning "canning retorts" for sterilization under high temperature (116–130 °C).
Retorts were widely used by alchemists, and images of retorts appear in many drawings and sketches of their laboratories. Before the advent of modern condensers, retorts were used by many prominent chemists, such asAntoine Lavoisier andJöns Berzelius.[citation needed]
An early method for producingphosphorus starts by roasting bones, and uses clay retorts encased in a very hot brick furnace to distill out the highly toxic product.[2]
The termretort comes by way ofMiddle French, but ultimately fromLatinretortus, twisted back, for the shape of the neck.
Inlaboratory use, due to advances in technology, especially the invention of theLiebig condenser, retorts were largely considered to have been rendered obsolete as early as the beginning of the 20th century.[3] However, somelaboratory techniques that involve simple distillation and do not require sophisticated apparatus may use a retort as a substitute for more complex distillation equipment.
A retort is a reactor that has the ability topyrolyze pile-wood, or wood logs over 30 centimetres (12 in) long and up to 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in diameter.[4]
The dictionary definition ofretort at Wiktionary