Steam Distillation - Arasi Lawrence Company

Each material in our Universe has its boiling point. Boiling points for essential oils are less than water boiling point (steam temperature is 100°C and the height boiling point of essential oils are less than steam temperature).

Essential oils specific gravity:

Water specific gravity is 1.00 and essential oils specific gravity are less or more than 1.00, so essential oil can be collected over (floating on) or under water.

Essential oils source to extract from:

Essential oils are in bags inside aromatic plants (spices) cells, vapo(u)r crash the bags and the plant cells and free the oil which it is volatile.

Essential oils components

Essential oils components and percentage are different from oil to oil even for the same botanical plant due to:

- Weather and planting time:

Most of herbs are planted and small amount are wild grown and collected. Plants that grow e.g. spearmint, the oil percentage of summer crop is double from winter crop. And the oil percentage from the first summer is different from the second of the plant life in the same field. The components percentage of the oil is different from season to another.

- Soil elements:

The B-phellandrene percentage increased in marjoram oil with the higher levels of molybdenum manganese, copper, calcium, zinc or iron.

- Irrigation:

The highest yield of plant material resulted from increasing the leaf area e.g. basil field irrigate every 4 days. The essential oil is highest at medium levels of soil moisture.

- Time of harvest:

The peppermint oil yield increased as the herb-approached maturity, full bloom stage.

- Distillation method:

We have standard methods of distillation for each green leaf, dry leaf and seed even for the same botanical plant.

Distiller (Essential Oil Production Line):

Essential oil production line has 4 majors: Boiler, Container, Condenser and compiler.

Boiler: Uses dry steam to vaporize and extract the oil, (x) meter cube steam per hour.

Container: Plant (raw) material, capacity of (y) volume.

Condenser: To condense oil, condenser is a tube surrounded by running cool water.

Compiler: To collect oil. Compiler helps to separate 2 levels of liquid. It contains a tap to empty under level in other bottle and keep the over level in the compiler.

A: Burner

B: Boiler

C & E: Tubes

D: Container

F: Condenser

G: Compiler

G1: Oil floating over water. Or under water

G2: Floral water

G3: Tap to separate oil and water

H: To empty under level liquid from above level liquid

Distillation Operation

Turn the burner on to heat the boiler, fill the container with herbs or seeds and begin the steam circle by passing a huge amount of steam from boiler to container and continue passing steam to the end of the operation. The pressure inside boiler and container are higher degree(s) than the atmospheric pressure. In the container, steam is coming from boiler threw tube to container to crash the plants cells and free the oil, which will continue threw tube to the condenser to condense oil by cooling the vapo(u)r.

Cooling the vapo(u)r making the pressure of condencer (normal pressure) is lawer than the container and helps to drag more vapo(u)r from container. Then collecting the resulting liquid in compiler, and separate oil from floral water (hydrosol).

Time of Distillation

To specify time for distillation operation you must consider:

1. Fresh, fade, or dry herbs (spices), it takes addition time for distillation if the herb is fade, and more if it's fresh.

2. Leaves take less time than seeds because leaves are thin than seeds and cells are surface in leaves than seeds.

3. The amount (density) of herb (spices) inside the container.

4. In commercial distillers -not scientific reason- when the cost of distillation operation equals the market price, and this isn't acceptance because the oil exterior may have less components.

Refine Essential Oils

We separate essential oil from water and refine it by filtration.

Store Essential Oils

Store essentials oils in dark glass bottles with suitable caps in cool place away from light.

Filling oil in small dark bottles for customers or in drums for factories or distributors.

Other pages for distillation:

Yield (extract) essential oil by steam distillation in atmospheric pressure.

Purification of Water for Scientific Purposes.

Properties of Water.

Application of the Kinetic Theory to Liquids, Equilibrium and Vapo(u)r Pressure of Liquid.

Email: postmaster@arasi.freeservers.com