Portable Mini Essential Oil Distillation Apparatus

Abstract

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Product ion of essential oils and hydrosols by common hydrodistillation prompted and facilitated development of a low cost, portable, mini distillation apparatus (MDA) made of stainless steel (SS) with a modular design for easy and rapid installation components depending on need. MDA can distill 1-10 kg plant material per batch of a variety of heavy and light essential oils by different heating modes, such as direct firing by fu el wood in easily constructible country made furnaces at the site, LPG stove, other heating devices like steam spurger, or electrical heaters. The extraction efficiency of MDA was compared with that of Clevenger type apparatus (CA) for essential oil dtermination by distilling Geranium and Tagetes oils. MDA yielded more essential oil with better and more complete ‘component make up’ of sensory profile qualitiatively. The GC and GC-MS studies further confirmed the findings. Similarly, the quality of rose water produced by MDA was also better. The combination of cost-effectiveness and flexibility with higher yield of better quality essential oils or 'waters' offer multiple options of utility in new agriculture production of hydrosols systems where diversification is the need and MDA may serve as a catalyst of change. MDA's patent has been filed in India, Argentina, Indonesia, USA, Brazil, Bulgaria, China and Turkey (NF No. 041 NF 2000, Application No.1004 DEL 2000, Filing date 10 November 2000).</span>