General Process Of Removing Terpenes From Citrus Oil By Distillation

The boiling point of terpenes in citrus oil is 176°C

Terpenes in citrus oil can be removed by a variety of methods, mainly including distillation, adsorption and chemical methods.

Distillation: The purpose of removing terpenes is achieved by heating to volatilize terpenes. This method is simple and effective, but it is necessary to control the temperature and pressure to avoid damage to other components in the sweet orange oil

Adsorption: The adsorption capacity of adsorbents (such as activated carbon or molecular sieves) on terpenes is used to remove them from the sweet citrus oil. This method can effectively remove terpenes and has little effect on the aroma of sweet citrus oil

Chemical method: Terpenes are converted into other substances through chemical reactions to achieve terpene removal. This method requires precise control of reaction conditions to avoid the production of harmful by-products

The effect of terpene removal on the quality of citrus oil:

Increase the aroma intensity and fragrance retention time: After removing terpenes, the aroma of orange oil is more intense and the fragrance retention time is extended

Prevent oxidative corruption: Terpene components are easily oxidized, causing orange oil to deteriorate. Removing terpenes can extend the shelf life of orange oil. Increased solubility: After removing terpenes, the solubility of orange oil in solvents increases, making it more suitable for use in fragrance and cosmetic formulations.

The following is the general process of removing terpenes from citrus oil by distillation:

Raw material preparation

Select high-quality citrus oil as raw material, test its terpene content and other related indicators, so as to compare and analyze the distillation effect later.

Pretreatment

Filter the citrus oil to remove possible solid impurities to prevent them from affecting heat transfer or clogging pipelines during the distillation process.

Selection of distillation equipment

Select appropriate distillation equipment, such as a simple distillation unit or a rectification unit, according to the production scale and requirements. For large-scale production, the rectification unit can better achieve separation effect and improve product purity.

Distillation operation

Heating: Add the pretreated citrus oil to the distillation kettle and heat it slowly. Control the heating rate so that the temperature of the citrus oil gradually rises to the boiling point range of terpenes (generally the boiling point of terpenes is around 150-180℃).

Vaporization and condensation: When the temperature reaches the boiling point of terpenes, terpenes begin to vaporize to form steam. The steam enters the condenser and is cooled by a cooling medium (such as cold water) to condense the terpene vapor into liquid.

Collection: Collect the condensed terpene liquid into the receiving container. At the same time, pay attention to the parameters such as the distillation temperature and the flow rate of the distillate to ensure the stability of the distillation process.

Post-distillation processing

Product testing: Test the citrus oil after distillation, analyze its terpene residue, aroma components and other indicators, and evaluate the distillation effect.

Packaging and storage: Pack the citrus oil that meets the quality requirements and store it in a cool, dry, and light-proof environment to prevent its quality from changing.

During the entire distillation process, parameters such as temperature, pressure, and distillation time need to be strictly controlled to ensure the effective removal of terpenes, while minimizing the loss of other beneficial components in citrus oil to ensure the quality and aroma of citrus oil.