Please explain me if we created a vacuum and lowered the boiling temperature would we still get in extracting the essential oils successfully??? Please guide me, thank you so much.

Question

Caleb Adams · Accepted Answer

In principle, you are correct: lowering the pressure would assist in the collection of volatile oils.

As you know, the boiling point of any liquid is defined as the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to that of the ambient pressure, and bubbles of vapour form directly in the liquid. The normal boiling point is specified when the ambient pressure is equal to 1 atmosphere. At pressures lower than 1 atmosphere, the distillation temperature should be reduced. Of course, there is much literature and tradecraft in the collection of essential oils. It might be that elevating the temperature causes a chemical reaction with your oils. The only advice I can give you is to (safely!) experiment. Good luck. PS You can often find tables that predict a boiling point at reduced pressure given the normal boiling point (and how now would you describe the normal boiling point?). There is a bad such ready reckoner on the back of the Aldrich catalogue. Chemists' Companion should have a more sophisticated one.

Caleb Adams · Answer

undefined Lowering the boiling temperature by creating a vacuum can affect the extraction of essential oils. Essential oils are often extracted using techniques such as steam distillation or solvent extraction, where the process relies on the boiling points of the components in the plant material.

When a vacuum is applied, the pressure decreases, which lowers the boiling point of liquids. This means that the essential oils can vaporize at lower temperatures, which can be beneficial for preserving delicate compounds and preventing thermal degradation.

However, it's essential to consider that the extraction process involves more than just boiling temperature. Factors such as the type of plant material, the extraction method used, the duration of the extraction process, and the equipment used all play crucial roles in determining the success of extracting essential oils.

In summary, lowering the boiling temperature by creating a vacuum can potentially aid in extracting essential oils successfully by preserving their quality, but it is just one aspect of the overall extraction process. Other factors also need to be considered for optimal results.