Project Abstract

Abstract
Steam distillation is a widely used method for separating organic compounds from natural products. In this project, an open steam distillation column was constructed to extract essential oils from aromatic plants. The design of the distillation column involved selecting appropriate materials, dimensions, and components to ensure efficient separation of the desired components. The construction process involved assembling the column using borosilicate glassware, which is known for its thermal resistance and transparency. The column was equipped with a heating mantle to provide the necessary heat for vaporizing the volatile compounds in the plant material. A condenser was attached to the column to facilitate the condensation of the vaporized components back into liquid form. The steam distillation column was tested using different aromatic plants such as lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus. The plant material was placed in the boiling flask along with water, and steam was passed through the column to carry the essential oils into the condenser. The condensed liquid containing the essential oils was collected in a receiving flask. The efficiency of the steam distillation column was evaluated by analyzing the yield and quality of the extracted essential oils. Gas chromatography was used to identify and quantify the individual components present in the oils. The results showed that the open steam distillation column was able to effectively extract the essential oils from the aromatic plants with good yields and purity. Overall, the construction of the open steam distillation column proved to be successful in extracting essential oils from aromatic plants. The design and components of the column were carefully selected to ensure optimal performance and efficiency in the separation process. The use of steam distillation offers a gentle method for extracting volatile compounds from natural sources without the need for harsh solvents or high temperatures. This project demonstrates the feasibility of constructing a simple yet effective steam distillation column for extracting essential oils. The knowledge gained from this research can be applied in various industries such as cosmetics, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals where the extraction of natural compounds is essential. The open steam distillation column provides a versatile and environmentally friendly approach to obtaining valuable essential oils from plant materials.

Project 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.