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Essential Oil Extraction Methods

admin — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:33:33 +0000

During the Middle Ages, people developed techniques for extracting oil from aromatic plants, such as cloves, and herbs like rosemary, according to the National Cancer Institute. These oils contain components that make fragrances, natural and homeopathic treatments, and aromatherapy preparations. Simply crushing the leaves and stems yields a small amount of oil from some plants. Some fragile plant and aromatic substances require more complex extraction methods. The oil yield and composition also varies depending on the oil extraction method.

Distillation

Distillation is one of the oldest methods of extracting essential oils from plants and flowers. The process usually requires immersion of a plant substance—flowers, leaves or stems—in water, then heating up the container. When the water reaches a temperature that is high enough to produce steam, the pores of the plant open enough to release the essential oil. In some cases, the extraction process only exposes the plant parts to steam. The distiller collects the plant’s oil from the vapor that rises to the top of the container. As the vapor cools and condenses, the oil drips into a collection vessel inside the container. Distillation by this method results in chemical alteration of the plant’s properties and the fragrance of the essential oil produced.

Expression

Expression extraction releases the essential oils in citrus fruits. Scraping the outer skin of oranges, lemons and grapefruit ruptures a sac that holds the oil. Expression extraction does not use heat to release these oils because they are dispersed in the air. Expression requires a scraper or grater and a collection container into which the oils from the sacs drip when squeezed or pressed. These oils remain chemically identical to the oils found in the carrier fruits, and the smell is usually unchanged.

Supercritical Solvents

The use of solvents to extract essential oils from plants and resins is a modern technique that increases the yield of oil from many plants. Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a popular solvent for essential oil extraction, according to the University of Minnesota. This method also retains the original chemical structure of the oil and extracts additional compounds from the plant material that distillation and expression do not produce. The process is more expensive but highly efficient. It takes place in a closed chamber because the extraction process requires heating the CO2 and increasing the pressure in the chamber to convert the CO2 to the supercritical state that makes it a solvent, according to the website AltMD.

Essential Oil Extraction

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:06:15 +0000

Despite the fact that a number of methods can be used in the essential oil extraction, steam distillation seems to the one that dominates this category. However, you can still consider other methods of essential oil extraction such as:
Maceration
Expression
Solvent extraction or
Enfleurage
Regardless of the kind of method that you choose to use, you need to ensure that you understand it fully so that you can extract the oil completely from different parts of respective plants. It is also essential to identify the exact method that will fit extraction of a certain type of oil because not all of them can be extracted using the same method.

Whether you are buying or producing your own essential oil, you are advised to ensure that the quality of the essential oil reigns supreme. Nevertheless, the quality of the essential oil depends on factors such as the climate and soil quality. Provided that these factors are favorable, you will no doubt be able to produce high quality oil. It therefore advisable that you do not just think about using the most suitable method but you also consider improving the conditions under which that given plant can thrive well. You need to get high quality raw materials as well.

How Is Oil Edible Extracted

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:56:04 +0000

The rise in the prices of cooking oil is causing people to start asking their friends and colleagues many questions about how oil edible is extracted. Most of the edible oil that you use daily is extracted from safflowers, peanuts and olives. It is important that you use the right edible oil extraction method so that you can realize the highest quality product that you need. If you have no idea how edible oil is supposed to be extracted, you need to realize that there are tons and tons of content on the internet that you can use.

Some consumers of edible oil usually read content written by one writer after which they think that they have now become an authority in this area. It is important to note that the whole process of oil extraction is not just based on the steps that you need to follow. It is essential to try to determine what your raw materials are as well as the apparatus that you are expected to use. Though some edible oil could easily be separated using physical methods, there are others that can be well extracted using solvents. Understanding the full import of what you are processing enables you to use the right ingredients.