Extraction of patchouli essential oil using multi-injection steam distillation

Abstract

Abstract Patchouli essential oil is typically obtained through traditional batch distillation, a process involving the introduction of a sole stream of steam at the base of the tank or column, followed by the condensation of the resulting vapor at the top of the tank. In a quest to explore the impact of the multiple injection steam method on both the yield and quality of the oil product, a comparison with the conventional single injection steam approach was conducted. The research variables encompassed different steam valve openings. The findings revealed that the steam valve openings indeed played a role in affecting the yield of the oil product. Curiously, the utilization of the multiple injection steam method yielded a somewhat lower oil output compared to the single injection steam approach. Specifically, with varying steam valve openings, the average yield for the multiple injection steam method hovered around 2.6%. In contrast, the single injection steam method consistently demonstrated a superior average yield of about 3.9%. Intriguingly, an examination of the essential components of patchouli oil, particularly the patchouli alcohol content, indicated no marked disparity between the two methods. This suggests that the utilization of the multiple injection steam method did not substantially alter the essential oil’s composition.