What is the purpose of placing boiling stones in the distillation flask before starting a distillation procedure?
Anti-bumping granules are small pieces of silica. They provides a nucleus on which gas bubbles grow, therefore avoiding the sudden production of large gas bubbles which can lead to ‘bumping’. This is called succussion; it can cause liquid to splash over into the condenser and therefore produce an impure product. Severe bumping can even lead to loss of material through vents or can blow a distillation apparatus apart.
