fractionation

English

fractionation (countable and uncountable, plural fractionations)

(chemistry, uncountable, countable) A separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture is divided up into smaller quantities (fractions) in which the composition changes according to a gradient; an instance of this process.
Hyponym: fractional distillation

Methane is separated from other hydrocarbons in a gas fractionation plant.

After several fractionations, we had a usable product.
(radiotherapy) The division of a total dose of radiation into fractions.
Hyponym: hyperfractionation
(cryptography) A preliminary stage of encryption that divides each plaintext symbol into several ciphertext symbols.
A form of hypnosis where the patient is made to enter and leave a trance state many times in quick succession.