Extraction of essential oils.

Essential oils are extracted in different ways,some of which shall be discussed here.

A.Enfleurage method:This is the oldest method of extracting essential oils.This method helps in extracting the oil from fragile plant parts,such as the flower head,as in the case of Jasmine.The flowers of this plant continue to release their aroma for twenty -four hours after being plucked.The flowers are placed on a sheet of glass covered with beeswax,an animal fat,which get saturated the essential oil.The essential oil produced is called "pommade".The essential oil can be released by dissolving the pommade in alcohol.The fat sinks down the bottom of the container and the rest mixture is heated ,so that the alcohol evaporates,leaving the essential oil behind.

B.Solvent extraction method:This method is used by perfume industry to release the fragrance from flower, as this is a cheaper method compared to other methods.This method involves the mixing together of the petals of flowers with a solvent such as hexane in huge metal vats.The mixture is then stirred which encourages the petal to release their oils.After some time,the petals are strained off ,leaving the solvent and perfumed oil behind .When the solvent is heated,it evaporates and leaves the essential oil behind.Essential oil produced by this method are devitalised in nature,hence does not have therapeutic properties,which is necessary for aromatherapy purpose.
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