Short path distillation head

1. A distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) for distilling a distillate from a vaporous distilland, comprising:

a headspace chamber ( 16 , 36 , 56 ) at least partially encompassed by an actively cooled condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 );

an inlet port ( 12 , 32 , 52 ) having an extended portion ( 26 , 36 , 56 ) below and to but not into a volume encompassed by said actively cooled condenser surface, said inlet port configured to receive the vaporous distilland and pass it into said headspace chamber;

a collection surface ( 22 , 42 , 62 ) below said headspace chamber to collect the distillate, wherein said collection surface has a planar sloped lower surface and said headspace chamber and said condenser surface have a vertical common first axis, said extended portion of said inlet port has a vertical second axis, and said first axis and said second axis are coaxial;

a separable upper surface ( 28 , 68 , 70 ) above said headspace chamber wherein said separable upper surface encompasses an entire upper-most surface area of said headspace chamber with no inward restriction from said condensation surface; and

an outlet port ( 24 , 44 , 64 ), to receive the distillate from said collection surface and pass it out of the distillation head.

2. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 1 , wherein the condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 ) is of a corrosion resistant metal alloy.

3. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a cooler ( 20 , 40 , 60 ) attached to said condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 ).

4. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 3 , wherein said cooler ( 20 , 40 , 60 ) receives a flowing medium to cool said condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 ) and thereby also to cool portions of the distilland that contact said condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 ).

5. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 4 , wherein said medium is a member of the set consisting of a liquid and a gas.

6. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 3 , wherein said cooler ( 60 ) includes at least one fin ( 60 ) attached to said condenser surface ( 18 , 38 , 58 ).

7. The distillation head ( 10 , 30 , 50 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a sight portal ( 28 , 68 ) above said headspace chamber ( 16 , 36 , 56 ).

8. A process for distilling a distillate from a vaporous distilland, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) directing the vaporous distilland into a distillation head via an inlet port;

(b) receiving the vaporous distilland via an extended portion of said inlet port into a headspace chamber of said distillation head, wherein:

(1) said headspace chamber is at least partially encompassed by a condensing surface that is actively cooled and has a separable upper surface, wherein said separable upper surface encompasses an entire upper-most surface area of said headspace chamber with no inward restriction from said condensation surface; and

(2) said extended portion of said inlet port extends below and to but not into a volume encompassed by said condenser surface that is actively cooled;

(c) condensing portions of the vaporous distilland onto said condensing surface such that it falls as distillate onward to a collecting surface, wherein said collection surface has a planar sloped lower surface;

(d) collecting the distillate that falls onto said collecting surface;

(e) receiving the distillate collected in (c) into an outlet port; and

(f) directing the distillate received in (d) out of said distillation head.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein said condensing surface is actively cooled by a flowing medium that is a member of the set consisting of a liquid and a gas.