• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Write For Us
  • Our Team
Extraction Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Botanical Extraction
    • Cannabinoids
    • Psychedelics
    • Nutraceutical
    • Product Refinement
  • Industry News
    • Business
    • Sustainability
    • Safety & Compliance
    • Partners
  • Extraction Technology
    • Equipment
    • Methods
    • Solvents
    • DIY Extraction
    • Analytical Techniques
  • Medical Research
  • Glossary
  • Business Directory
  • Botanical Extraction
    • Cannabinoids
    • Psychedelics
    • Nutraceutical
    • Product Refinement
  • Industry News
    • Business
    • Sustainability
    • Safety & Compliance
    • Partners
  • Extraction Technology
    • Equipment
    • Methods
    • Solvents
    • DIY Extraction
    • Analytical Techniques
  • Medical Research
  • Glossary
  • Business Directory
No Result
View All Result
Extraction Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Extraction Technology

Why Steam Distillation is Ideal for Herbal Extraction

Nick Congleton by Nick Congleton
August 20, 2022
in Extraction Technology
Why Steam Distillation is Ideal for Herbal Extraction

Herbal extracts are more popular now than ever, but the art and science of extracting them goes back hundreds of years. When extracting herbal compounds, your goal is to both preserve the integrity of what was in the plant and avoid adding chemicals which can contaminate the finished product. In short, you want to get the desired extracts out of the plant without changing much else. It’s a simple concept, but it’s usually easier said than done.

Fortunately, this ancient problem has an equally time-tested solution that’s both simple and relatively efficient. Steam distillation is a fairly basic form of distillation that can be done with relatively low-tech equipment. However, with the benefit of modern technology, it can be made much more efficient, increasing yields and producing a high-purity product.

READ ALSO

Exploring the World of Synthetic vs. Natural Colorants

Pulsed Electric Field Applications for Botanical Extraction

 

What is Steam Distillation?

If you’re familiar with the basic concept of distillation, steam distillation isn’t much different. Plant material is placed in a boiler. Steam is fed up into that boiler to heat the plant material. The temperature of the plant material increases, and the compounds in the plant change phase to vapor, leaving the plant and making their way with the steam up to the top of the still. There, the vapor moves down into a condenser where it runs in a tube surrounded by cold water allowing the vapour to condense back to its liquid form. At the end of the still is a collector. There, essential oils are separated from hydrosol, which is water mixed with botanical hydrosoluble compounds.

 

Why is Steam Distillation Great for Herbal Extraction?

Steam distillation has a number of advantages for herbal extraction. First, it’s simple and effective. This is an ancient method that’s still just as relevant today.

Then, you have to consider that it’s also relatively safe. Steam distillation doesn’t require harsh chemicals or high pressure. Most importantly, it’s safe for the consumer. Steam distillation doesn’t use chemical solvents, so there’s no need to worry about contaminants in the final product. That means it’s easy to make an organic product using steam distillation.

Steam distillation also has the advantage of temperature control. You can regulate the temperature of the steam thus the pressure within the boiler to ensure that the herbal compounds that you’re extracting are not altered or destroyed in the process. You can carry out the distillation process over a longer time with a lower heat to guarantee that you’re getting a result as close to what you’d find in the source plant as possible.

 

References:

1- Pearlstine E. Distillation of essential oils. University of Florida IFAS Extension. https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/IR/00/00/38/77/00001/UW35500.pdf

 

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/62oEg-UL4Sg

Related Posts

Synthetic vs. Natural Colorants
Botanical Extraction

Exploring the World of Synthetic vs. Natural Colorants

November 12, 2024
Honeycomb frames in extraction plant at beekeeping factory
Extraction Technology

Pulsed Electric Field Applications for Botanical Extraction

October 29, 2024
How to Use a Gas Chromatograph
Analytical Techniques

How to Use a Gas Chromatograph

October 7, 2024
Combining Extraction Processes
Botanical Extraction

Combination of Extraction Processes

September 26, 2024
Bioreactors
Equipment

Bioreactors Principles, Types, Applications and Limitations

September 23, 2024
THC-O and the Dangers of Non-Natural Cannabinoids
Extraction Technology

THC-O and the Dangers of Non-Natural Cannabinoids: A Call for Caution

September 19, 2024
Next Post
Bubble Hash

DIY Bubble Hash

LATEST ARTICLES

Green Extraction Techniques

Green Extraction Techniques and Smart Solvents for Bioactive Recovery

January 10, 2025
Wide angle view at two workers wearing protective suits while inspecting production at modern chemical plant, copy space

Collaborative Approaches in Botanical Extraction: Bridging Science and Industry

January 7, 2025
Areca Catechu

Inside the Betel Nut High: Exploring the Mind-Bending Effects of Areca Catechu

January 1, 2025
The Art of Extraction: Unlocking Nature’s Fragile Secrets

The Art of Extraction: Unlocking Nature’s Fragile Secrets

December 27, 2024

Subscribe Now

Subscribe to our newsletter now to receive quick updates from us



    Background
    About

    Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news, ever-changing politics, cool gadgets and technologies, and methods for producing safe, ethical, and compliant formulations.

    Advertisers
    Navigation
    • Botanical Extraction
    • Industry News
    • Extraction Technology
    • Medical Research
    • Glossary
    • Business Directory
    Recent Posts
    • Green Extraction Techniques and Smart Solvents for Bioactive Recovery
    • Collaborative Approaches in Botanical Extraction: Bridging Science and Industry
    • Inside the Betel Nut High: Exploring the Mind-Bending Effects of Areca Catechu
    • The Art of Extraction: Unlocking Nature’s Fragile Secrets
    Subscribe to our Newsletter
    loader

    Sitemap

    © 2025 Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news and the leading media in the ever-changing extraction industry.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Industry News
    • Botanical Extraction
    • Medical Research
    • Medical Research
    • Glossary
    • Our Team
    • Write For Us

    © 2023 Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news and the leading media in the ever-changing extraction industry.