Clove Oil Distillation Kit

Clove belongs to the genus Eugenia in the Myrtaceae family and is an evergreen tree. It is mainly produced in Madagascar, Indonesia, Tanzania, Malaysia, Zanzibar, India, Vietnam, Hainan and Yunnan in China. The usable parts are dried buds, stems and leaves. Clove bud oil can be obtained by distilling the buds with steam distillation, with an oil yield of 15%~18%; clove bud oil is a yellow to clear brown liquid, sometimes slightly viscous; it has the characteristic aroma of medicinal, woody, spicy and eugenol, with a relative density of 1.044~1.057 and a refractive index of 1.528~1.538. Clove stems can be distilled by steam distillation to obtain clove stem oil, with an oil yield of 4%~6%; clove stem oil is a yellow to light brown liquid, which turns dark purple-brown after contact with iron; it has the characteristic aroma of spicy and eugenol, but not as good as bud oil, with a relative density of 1.041~1.059 and a refractive index of 1.531~1.536. Clove leaf oil can be distilled by steam distillation to obtain clove leaf oil, with an oil yield of about 2%; clove leaf oil is a yellow to light brown liquid, which turns dark after contact with iron; it has the characteristic aroma of spicy and eugenol, with a relative density of 1.039~1.051 and a refractive index of 1.531~1.535.

Clove oil can be divided into the following categories according to its function:

1. Edible clove oil: used for cooking and flavoring, can be eaten directly.

2. Medicinal clove oil: can be taken orally and applied externally, please follow the doctor's instructions for use.

3. Spice clove essential oil: used for aromatherapy, with a very high concentration, can be fatal if eaten, please do not try! Strictly speaking, clove oil can be divided into clove leaf oil, clove stem oil, and clove bud oil. In the spice industry, clove oil is generally considered to be clove leaf oil.

Clove oil is a volatile oil obtained by distillation of the dried buds (cloves) of the Myrtaceae plant clove. It is a light yellow or colorless clear oil with a special aroma of cloves. When exposed to the air or stored for a long time, it gradually thickens and turns brown. The color will be darker when it encounters iron. It is insoluble in water and easily soluble in alcohol, ether or glacial acetic acid. It tastes sweet and spicy and is very hot.

Clove essential oil contains a wealth of active compounds, the most representative of which is eugenol, which can account for more than 85%.

Extraction process of clove essential oil

Raw materials: Clove buds are often used for extraction. Pick mature but not fully open buds and dry them to retain their active ingredients.

Steam distillation: The dried clove buds are placed in a distiller. As the steam passes through, the volatile oils in the cloves are carried to the condenser by the steam, and after cooling, a mixture of essential oil and water is formed. The upper layer of essential oil is collected by a separator.

Yield: The essential oil yield of clove buds is relatively high, and 15-20 kg of essential oil can be extracted from every 100 kg of buds.

Clove oil has analgesic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. The main component of clove oil is eugenol, which accounts for more than 85%, and there is about 3% acetoeugenol and a small amount of clove ene, methyl n-amyl ketone, methyl n-heptanone, vanillin, etc. It also contains oleanolic acid, tannin, fatty oil and wax.

Clove oil is volatile and is extracted by steam distillation.

The separation of eugenol is based on the phenolic hydroxyl group in its structure, which can react with alkaline to form salts and dissolve in water, and separate from other lipophilic components. After the alkaline water is acidified, eugenol is separated into an oily liquid and dehydrated and distilled to obtain eugenol.

Eugenol can also be obtained by distillation in a fractionation column.