Thesis Abstract

Abstract
In this research project, an open steam distillation column was constructed and tested for the separation of essential oils from plant materials. The construction process involved designing and building a vertical column equipped with a steam generator at the base to facilitate the distillation process. The column was packed with plant material at the top and subjected to steam generated at the bottom. The steam carried the essential oils from the plant material through the column, where they were condensed and collected in a separate receiver. The performance of the open steam distillation column was evaluated by measuring the yield and quality of the essential oils extracted from various plant samples. Factors such as steam flow rate, packing material, and temperature were optimized to enhance the efficiency of the distillation process. The collected essential oils were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine their chemical composition and purity. The results showed that the open steam distillation column was effective in extracting essential oils from a variety of plant materials. The yield of essential oils varied depending on the plant source, with some samples exhibiting higher oil content than others. The quality of the extracted oils was found to be high, as confirmed by the GC-MS analysis which identified the presence of key compounds characteristic of each plant species. The optimization of operating parameters such as steam flow rate and temperature allowed for increased oil yield and improved extraction efficiency. The choice of packing material also played a significant role in enhancing the separation of essential oils from the plant material. Overall, the constructed open steam distillation column proved to be a reliable and efficient tool for the extraction of essential oils from natural sources. This research contributes to the field of essential oil extraction by providing a cost-effective and scalable method for obtaining high-quality oils from plant materials. The open steam distillation column offers a simple yet effective approach to separating essential oils, making it suitable for small-scale production or research purposes. Further studies could focus on scaling up the process for industrial applications and exploring the use of different plant sources for essential oil extraction using this distillation method.

Thesis Overview

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Distillation is a separating technique in which two liquids are separated at essentially the same temperature and pressure.  It is also the term used to describe the operation where the vaporization of a liquid mixture yields a vapor phase containing more than one constituents and it is desired to recover one or more of this constituents in a nearly pure state.

          It would probably be beneficial to define the terms that describe the process and related properties.  Let us begin by describing the process by which a substance transformed from the condensed phase to the gas phase.  For liquid, this process is called VAPORIZATION and for a solid it is called SUBMIATIN, both processes requires heat.  All substances regardless whether they are liquids or solids are characterized by a vapor pressure.  The vapor pressure of a pure substance is the pressure exerted by the substance against the external pressure which is usually  atmospheric pressure. Vapor pressure is a measure of the tendency to escape.  When the vapor pressure of a liquid substance reaches the external pressure the substance is observed to Boil.  If the external pressure is atmospheric pressure, the temperature at which a pure substance boils is called the NORMAL BOILING POINT.  Solid substances are not characterized by a similar phenomena called BOILING.  They simply vaporize directly into the atmosphere.

 

          Generally speaking, distillation, stripping, absorption, humidification are industrial stage wise operations which involves the contact of two phases in various apparatus.  Completion of separation depends upon certain properties of components involved and the arrangement of the distillation process.

The properties involved are:

–                     Mode of temperature and process control

–                     The relative volatility between the liquid and vapor phases

–                     The production capacity of the distiller

–                     The type of distillation involved

However, the importance of distillation in commercial process is the purification of a large variety of material and petroleum industries.  It is applied in the production of hot drinks in chemical industries.  Also, applied in oil companies for the separation of petroleum into its various components e.g kerosene, diesel, gasoline, petrol, fuel, oil, lubricating oil, paraffin wax, aliphatic etc.  Lastly, it is equally applied in pharmaceutical industries for the production of ethylated spirits and many other medical strubs.