What are azeotropes? Explain their types.

(N/A) Azeotropes are binary mixtures that have the same composition in both liquid and vapour phases and boil at a constant temperature. In such cases,it is not possible to separate the components by fractional distillation.
There are two types of azeotropes: minimum boiling azeotrope and maximum boiling azeotrope.
$(i)$ Minimum boiling azeotrope: Solutions that show a large positive deviation from Raoult's law form a minimum boiling azeotrope at a specific composition. For example,an ethanol-water mixture on fractional distillation yields a solution containing approximately $95 \%$ by volume of ethanol. Once this composition is reached,the liquid and vapour have the same composition,and no further separation occurs.
$(ii)$ Maximum boiling azeotropes: Solutions that show a large negative deviation from Raoult's law form a maximum boiling azeotrope at a specific composition. For example,nitric acid and water form this class of azeotrope. This mixture has an approximate composition of $68 \%$ nitric acid and $32 \%$ water by mass,with a boiling point of $393.5 \ K$.