Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Steam Distillation Equipment In A Nutshell

By Imelda Reid


Distillation is the process of separating liquids based on the difference in their boiling degrees. Steam distillation refers to a process of separating temperature sensitive materials. Materials that are separated by steam distillation equipment break down at high temperature and are insoluble or slightly soluble in water. They do not have to be liquids at room temperature, for instance the isolation of caffeine from the green tea.

In hot vapor distillations, vapor or water is added to the distillations apparatus. It lowers the boiling point of materials to be separated. The materials then can subsequently evaporate at lower temperatures reducing the decomposition of the desired product. Pressure may also be reduced for very temperature sensitive materials so as to reduce drastically the high temperatures in distiller. After distillations, the vapors are condensed.

The vapor distillations tool is usually designed using stainless steel or borosilicate glassware to prevent breakage under high pressure. This means that distillation and solvent extraction can be performed in the same unit at atmosphere or even higher pressure without breaking.

Steam may be generated in two ways. External steams distillations is whereby vapor is passed into the apparatus through a water tap. In an external vapor process, hot water is incorporated into the flask producing an internal steam source. The benefits of this method are that it is fast and the operator has more control.

These components vary depending on scale of operation and type of materials to be distilled. Generally the components fall into three parts. The first part is steam generator where vapor is produced and can be heated by any device. The succeeding part is the distiller where distillation takes place. The heating systems for both parts are separate. The third part is condensation plus receiver which contains a normal condenser for water and a calibrated receiver.

Essential oils from plants such as lemon grass, lavender and rosemary can be best separated using steams distillers. This is because the product should not possess water like in the simple distillations process. When this process is used to separate aromatic compounds there are two resultant compounds: essential oil and a watery herbal distillate. Essential oils are commonly used in manufacture of perfumes and also in aromatherapy. The watery distillates have found use in the manufacture of cosmetics such as soaps and lotions an also in the food processing industry.

Some of the companies which use these types of machinery in their production activities are the petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants. In these industries, the method is popularly called steam stripping. Their functions extend to fatty acids, soaps and other organic valuables.

Make sure you adopt required precautions when dealing with these products. Be keen on presence of leakages that can lead to inefficiency. Protective gears should be worn to protect the eyes and skin from very hot surfaces and vapor or even emitted fumes. Compare the prices and the ability of the gadget to perform to your required needs. When shopping for the product on the internet, check on the firm that is accessible or offers shipping services as it will reduce the hassle of acquiring it.




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