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| Sources of Oils |
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| Methods of Extraction |
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| The process of distillation falls into three stages: 1. Converting a volatile liquid into a vapour 2. Condensing the vapour by cooling 3. Collecting the condensed liquid A problem with using distillation to extract essential oils is that some of the more volatile components can be lost to the atmosphere. Also, there is the possibility of some of the heavier molecules not 'coming over' in the vapour. Steam Distillation click here for more information Hydro Diffusion: This is similar to steam distillation with the main difference being that the steam is introduced at the top of the still and gradually cools as it passes down through the plant material. It completes condensation in an area beneath the plant material. It has a shorter processing time and the temperature of the steam is slightly lower so there is less risk of damage to the essential oil. Fractional Distillation: This process is carried out similarly to normal distillation but the essential oil is collected in batches as distillation proceeds. These batches are called fractions. Ylang-Ylang is produced in this way. Rectification: If an essential oil contains impurities, it may require to be distilled a second time. The resultant oil is described as rectified or double distilled. Eucalyptus often requires to be rectified. |
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