Jo's Health Corner: production

Essential Oil Production - Part 2

This is part two of my posts about essential oil production. In the previous post I explained the water distillation method. Today I will explain the solvent extraction method.

The solvent extraction method is a very suitable method of extracting essential oils from flowers with a low amount of essential oils. It is also suitable for raw materials with a resinous constituents. The flower petals are mixed with a volatile solvent such as ether, benzene, petroleum or hexane until they are dissolved. Once they are dissolved the solution is put into a distillation vessel to evaporate out the solvent. Low pressure and heat is used since it is the solvent and not the essential oils that need to be evaporated. The remaining product in the distillation vessel is a concrete, and it is still containing pigments and insoluble vegetable wax.

The concrete is not mixed with alcohol, and it is heated enough to melt. Some of the waxes and fats will dissolve in the alcohol together with the essential oil. The alcohol is cooled down and filtered, and now the alcohol needs to be removed by distillation in a vacuum still. The lowest temperature available is used, and the final product is called an absolute.

Solvent extraction is a mild method and it causes less rearrangement of the chemical constituent than the distillation method. The final products have a better fragrance. However, it is an expensive process, and some solvents may still remain in the absolute.

Thanks for visiting!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

6:56 AM | Read more...

Essential Oil Production - Part 1

There are different methods used when extracting essential oils from the plant material. It is important to use the right method since the plants have different properties and react differently to heat. They could be damaged in the process if not treated properly. The main method is distillation, and and there are different methods of distillation performed depending on the plant materials. The different methods are water and steam, water and direct steam. They all follow the main principles of distillation. Solvent extraction process is another method often used when the raw materials contain a low amount of essential oils.

Water distillation is applied to oils that are not sensitive to long contact with boiling water. Dried plant material, powdered material, and heat sensitive oils such as neroli and rose are used in water distillation. In water distillation the plant material comes in direct contact with the boiling water. The plant material is put in the distilling chamber along with water and brought to a boil. The oil molecules of the plant are transferred with the steam to the condensing chamber in order for it to cool. When the steam cools it liquefies and the oil will float on the water. If its specific gravity is higher than water it will sink to the bottom. A separatory funnel is used to separate out the essential oil. This method uses reduced pressure and low heat. It is a slow procedure, and therefore, it is not suitable for oils containing high amount of esters since they can break down carboxylic acids and alcohols.

Stay tuned for the next post about the solvent extraction process.

Thanks for visiting!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist he is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.