to separate or divide something into fractions or components, especially in chemistry where a mixture is separated based on different physical or chemical properties.
Back-formation from fractionation (noun), which comes from fraction + -ation. The verb was created by removing the -ation suffix and adding -ate (standard verb ending), allowing it to mean 'to break into fractions.'
Fractionation is how we separate crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and kerosene—one of the most economically important chemical processes ever invented. Without fractionation, modern transportation wouldn't exist.
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