The three basic requirements for unobstructed, short path distillation are: a surface over which a think layer of distilland is distributed, a cooler condensing surface in close proximity to the evaporating surface, and a suitable system for evacuating the space between the two surfaces. When the distance of transfer between the evaporating and condensing surfaces is comparable to the mean free path of the vapor molecules in the residual gas, the process is known as molecular distillation. [Continued in document] / Ph. D.