Steam distillation
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Steam distillation is a special type of distillation (a separation process) for temperature sensitive materials like natural aromatic compounds.
Many organic compounds tend to decompose at high sustained temperatures. Separation by normal distillation would then not be an option, so water or steam is introduced into the distillation apparatus. By adding water or steam the boiling points of the compounds are depressed, allowing them to evaporate at lower temperatures, preferably below the temperatures at which the deterioration of the material becomes appreciable. If the substances to be distilled are very sensitive to heat, steam distillation can also be combined with vacuum distillation. After distillation the vapors are condensed as usual, usually yielding a two-phase system of water and the organic compounds, allowing for simple separation.
Steam distillation is employed in the manufacture of essential oil, for instance, perfumes. In this method steam is passed through the plant material containing the desired oils. It is also employed in the synthetic procedures of complex organic compounds. Eucalyptus oil and orange oil are obtained by this method in industrial scale.
Steam distillation is also widely used in petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants where it is commonly referred to as "steam stripping".[1][2][3]
[edit] See also
- Azeotropic distillation
- Batch distillation
- Distillation
- Extractive distillation
- Fractional distillation
- Herbal distillates
- Theoretical plate
[edit] References
- ^ Beychok, M.R., The Design of Sour Water Strippers, Individual Paper 61, Proceedings of Seventh World Petroleum Congress, Mexico City, April 1967
- ^ Kister, Henry Z. (1992). Distillation Design, 1st Edition, McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-034909-6.
- ^ Sour Water Steam Stripper Schematic Diagram
Principles: Raoult's law, Dalton's law, Reflux, Fenske equation
Industrial processes: Batch distillation, Continuous distillation
Laboratory methods: Rotary evaporator, Kugelrohr, Spinning band distillation
Techniques: Fractional distillation, Vacuum distillation, Extractive distillation, Reactive distillation, Dry distillation, Destructive distillation, Azeotropic distillation, Steam distillation
