Steam distillation

Principle

An elegant and simple apparatus for carrying out water vapour distillations: the advantage of this arrangement is that it eliminates the need for a separate vapour generator, making it possible to operate with a single heat source (other set-ups require two). The vapour is generated in the outer chamber and then passes through the inner chamber. Due to the structural arrangement, the inner chamber is heated directly by the vapour generated in the outer chamber. This also eliminates the possibility of overheating the substances being extracted.

Benefits

• No separate steam generator necessary
• Only one heat source needed

Tasks

Extract ethereal oils from parts of plants e g. orange peel and cloves using steam distillation.

Learning objectives

• Distillation
• Steam distillation
• Etheral oils
• Flavour