What is the distillation of steam?
steam distillation is a method of insulation of compounds that decompose at high temperatures by their distillation in such a way that steam is introduced into the raw material. Normally, distillation is used to separate the substance from another substance with a higher boiling point. The mixture is heated to the boiling point of the fabric to be extracted and the steam cools and condenses. However, this technique is not suitable for compounds that decompose below their boiling points. For these compounds, steam distillation can be used, assuming that the compound is not mixed with water. The vapor pressure increases with the temperature and when heating, the liquid will be cooked at the point where the steam pressure is equal to the atmosphere pressure. Cooking can therefore be achieved either by heating the liquid or by reducing atmospheric pressure. Some liquids, However, decompose at a temperature lower than their boiling point at normal atmospheric pressure. One solution to this problem is the use of vacuum distillation or distillation at reduced pressure, so the liquid is cooked at a lower temperature; Another solution is destiLace steam.
Where the interest compound, usually oil, is not mixed with water and has a higher boiling point, the pressure of the two combined steam is the sum of their separate steam pressures, thus greater than the pressure of the compound itself. Increasing the steam pressure achieved by mixing the compound with water or steam reduces the boiling point, allowing its distillation without decomposition. Normally, much more water is distilled than oils, but when cooling and condensation into the receiver, two different layers are made up, of which the oil can be easily separated. To maximize the amount of oil, which is extraction, it is common to have excess water over the oil. In some cases, the material containing oil is simply mixed with water and heated, while in other cases the water can be cooked in a separate container and the resulting steam supplied to the distilled material.
Common application for steam distillation is the insulation of essential oils of vegetable material like JSou herbs and spices. These oils can be used in flavors, perfumes and aromatherapy. Some have medical use. Examples of essential oils of often extracted vapor distillation are eucalyptus, cloves, orange, mint and lemon.