How To Distill Your Own Eucalyptus Essential Oils

I. Properties of eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus oil is obtained by steam distillation of eucalyptus leaves and branches. Eucalyptus oil is a colorless to light yellow liquid with an odor similar to camphor and borneol. The main component of eucalyptus oil is cineole, with a content of 70%-90%, and a small amount of aldehydes and anvilene. Eucalyptus oil is used in medicine to prepare cough suppressants, mouthwashes, insect repellent ointments, and flavors for toothpaste, tooth powder, candies, etc.

The leaves of eucalyptus trees contain oil gland cells, which can secrete aromatic oil, giving the eucalyptus leaves a special aromatic smell. Fragrance oil extracted from eucalyptus oil, commonly known as eucalyptus oil, has important uses in industry.

II. Oil content of eucalyptus leaves

Eucalyptus oil can be extracted from eucalyptus leaves using steam distillation, with a general oil yield of 0.8-5.0%. The oil content of eucalyptus leaves varies greatly depending on the species of eucalyptus. Therefore, when refining eucalyptus oil, the optimal period for harvesting eucalyptus leaves must be considered to increase the oil yield and increase economic benefits.

III. Eucalyptus oil extraction method

Eucalyptus oil is often extracted by steam distillation. Depending on local resources and production scale, direct fire or direct steam production methods can be used. The commonly used extraction method of eucalyptus oil using direct fire steam distillation method is introduced as follows:

1. Processing of eucalyptus raw materials

There are two methods of harvesting eucalyptus leaves: one is to cut branches and leaves together with clear cutting; the other is to cut branches from eucalyptus trees operating in the forest, select young branches with leaves less than 2 cm in diameter as raw materials, bundle them and transport them to the steam oil factory Raw materials site. To prevent eucalyptus oil from evaporating, raw materials should be protected from direct sunlight. Once the eucalyptus leaves arrive, it is best to process them promptly. The accumulation should not be too dense and the time should not be too long, otherwise it will cause mildew and affect the quality of eucalyptus oil.

2. Selection of distillation site

The site should be selected close to the raw material production base, with sufficient water resources, convenient transportation, guaranteed power supply, and sufficient open space for stacking raw materials.

3. Distillation equipment

Distillation equipment often adopts the following specifications in forest areas:

Still pot: The diameter of the pot is 86 cm, the height is 100-110 cm, and it can hold about 130-140 kg of eucalyptus raw materials.

Condenser: You can choose a tube condenser or a coiled tube condenser for supporting production. The condensation area is about 1.5-. Oil-water separator: The diameter of the separator is 20 cm and the height is 20 cm.

4. Distillation oil

Eucalyptus oil refining operation method

Before loading eucalyptus raw materials into pots, check whether production equipment such as distillation pots and condensers are normal. If leaks are found, they should be repaired in time. After making sure the device is airtight, you can install the eucalyptus leaves. When filling the pot with eucalyptus leaves, it should be moderately tight and tightly pressed around the edges of the pot. The filling should not be too full. Generally, it can be filled to 70-80% of the pot's capacity. After putting the eucalyptus leaves into the pot, cover the pot and connect the relevant pipes, you can ignite the fire for distillation. The fire should be high at the beginning. When the water in the pot has boiled, the generated water vapor will pass through the raw material layer from bottom to top, and When removing the air from the pot, the heat should be slowed down slightly to prevent the air from taking away some of the eucalyptus oil.

When the air is exhausted, the firepower can be increased at this time and the distillation can be carried out evenly. The mixed gas of oil and water evaporated from the pot enters the condenser through the connecting pipe for condensation and cooling. The condensed distillate enters the oil-water separator for separation of oil and water. The separated distillate water flows back into the pot for re-distillation, and the eucalyptus oil is further distilled. After removing residual water, package. After about an hour, if you observe that the distillate does not contain much oil, you should increase the firepower to steam out the high-boiling components in the eucalyptus oil as much as possible. After steaming the oil, stop the fire, open the lid of the pot, and remove the residue. The leaf residue can be used as fuel. After the leaf residue is discharged, a certain amount of water is added, and materials can be charged for the next pot of distillation.

IV. Effects and uses of eucalyptus essential oil

1. Respiratory system: Eucalyptus essential oil has a good effect on the respiratory system and can relieve symptoms such as colds and coughs.

2. Soothing agent: Eucalyptus essential oil can soothe muscle soreness and relieve fatigue.

3. Sterilization and disinfection: Eucalyptus essential oil has strong sterilization and disinfection effects and can be used to clean rooms and disinfect daily necessities.

4. Other uses: Eucalyptus essential oil can also be used for beauty, health care, etc.

In short, there are many methods for extracting eucalyptus essential oil, but no matter which method is used, it is necessary to ensure that the obtained essential oil is pure and free of impurities. At the same time, eucalyptus essential oil has a wide range of effects and uses and can be used in many fields such as medical treatment, beauty, and health care.