An illustration entitled "sublimatio" from an alchemical treatise from 1622. In alchemy, sublimation is the process whereby a substance is heated to a vapor and then collects as sediment on the neck of the heating vessel. It is one of the twelve core alchemical processes. Alchemy was the pseudo-scientific predecessor of chemistry. Among other pursuits, alchemists searched for formulas that would turn base metals into gold. They sought wisdom and the secret to immortality.