A Novel Glass Apparatus for Enhanced Essential Oil Extraction

This research paper presents an advancement in essential oil extraction technology through the introduction of a novel glass apparatus. Essential oils, valued for their aromatic and therapeutic properties, are extracted from botanical sources using various methods. Traditional extraction techniques often face challenges related to efficiency, yield, and preservation of oil quality. The glass apparatus described herein offers a solution to these challenges by leveraging the unique properties of glass to optimize extraction conditions, enhance yield, and maintain oil integrity. This paper details the design, operation principles, and potential applications of the glass apparatus in the essential oil industry. The glass apparatus proposed here, when implemented in steam distillation and hydrodistillation processed will lead to better yield and better quality of essential oil produced.


INTRODUCTION
Essential oils play a significant role in industries such as cosmetics, aromatherapy, and pharmaceuticals due to their diverse applications.The extraction process is critical in determining the quality and quantity of essential oils obtained from botanical sources.Traditional extraction methods, while effective, often involve the use of materials that may introduce impurities or alter the chemical composition of the oils.The utilization of glass as the primary material for the extraction apparatus offers a solution to these concerns by providing a chemically inert and transparent environment conducive to maintaining oil purity and quality.Hydrodistillation using Clevengers apparatus is seen to have better experimental results when compared to Soxhlet extraction [1].This paper proposes a new design of the extracting apparatus, made of borosilicate glass, which helps in an easier and more efficient way of essential oil extraction.The borosilicate glass is chosen for its chemical inertness, outstanding corrosion resistance and smooth porous surface [2].The proposed design aims minimize the possibility of impurities in the oil.

DESIGN OF THE APPARATUS
The design of the apparatus is made in such a way that is maximizes the use of molecular kinematics and minimizes the presence of impurities in the final product i.e essential oil.The design consists of an extraction tube which is connected to the vessel containing the raw material, which is heated in order to extract essential oils from it.The extraction tube is connected to a round bottom flask shaped structure.There exists a stopper which can used to stop the flow of vapors and liquids straight from extraction vessel to the collection flask as shown in the figure.There exists another tube which provides a connection between the extraction tube and the collection flask , the use of which is explained in the section below.A condenser is attached to the collection flask which closed at the upper level with the help of a cork.A collection tube, attached with a stopper, is added to the collection flask in order to collect the essential oil obtained.

OPERATION PRINCIPLES
The primary function of the apparatus is to efficiently extract essential oils and minimizing the presence of impurities.The functions of different parts are discussed separately discussed here.The extraction tube is connected to the vessel containing the raw materials, which is heated to extract the oils.As the raw material is heated, the oil molecules are released from the gland cells.The oil and the water added to the raw materials during hydrodistillation are vaporized and rise up.The vapors are then allowed to pass through the extraction tube to the collection flask and up to the condenser.This is allowed to go on for some time.As the temperature of the raw materials and water in the vessel increases the kinetic energy of the water and oil molecules also increases.Hence they undergo more and more collisions and start losing their energy.After a certain time period the stopper is closed so that the gas molecules which are condensed through the condenser, by allowing cool water to pass through the condenser, are collected in the collection flask as liquid essential oil.The cool water which is supplied to the condenser provides a cooler temperature to the vapour particles, and cool them down to liquid state.A second tube is attached from the extraction tube to the collection flask.The use of this tube is to allow the more and more gas molecules to pass to the collection flask and subsequently to the condenser in order to cool down and form liquid.This ensures a continuous process of extraction.Moreover, as the temperature in the extraction vessel increases, the temperature of the water increases.The vessel also contains oil molecules released by the gland cells of the raw material in a liquid form.Hence we get both water and oil in the vessel.They rise up due to high temperature and start jumping out of the vessel.The primary use of the tube connecting the extraction vessel and collection flask sideways is to provide a passage for this liquid to the collection flask.Due to the bends present in the tube structure there is a greater chance of collisions of heavier solid impurity particles from the raw material, like sand and dust, to collide with the glass tube and settle down or fall down.Moreover, due to the height of the tube there will be a greater gravitational pull on the heavy solid impurities which will cause them to fall down and settle down.The main functionality of this design is that it provides maximum resistance to the solid impurities that may be present in an oil sample , and hence minimize the impurities in the oil.The oil collected in the collection flask is obtained with the help of a collection tube attached to the collection flask.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
The glass apparatus holds promise for various applications within the essential oil industry: Natural Cosmetics: High-quality essential oils extracted using the glass apparatus can be utilized in the formulation of natural cosmetics and skincare products, where purity and quality are paramount [4].Therapeutic Aromatherapy: Essential oils extracted with the glass apparatus are well-suited for use in aromatherapy products aimed at promoting relaxation, stress relief, and overall well-being [5].Pharmaceutical Formulations: The precise control and purity provided by the glass apparatus make it suitable for extracting essential oils for pharmaceutical formulations, where consistency and quality are essential.

CONCLUSION
The introduction of the glass apparatus represents a significant advancement in essential oil extraction technology, offering improved efficiency, yield, and quality compared to traditional methods.Its utilization of chemically inert glass ensures the preservation of oil integrity, making it an ideal choice for industries that demand high-purity natural products.Further research and development efforts are warranted to explore the full potential of the glass apparatus and its applications across various sectors of the essential oil industry.

SOME OF THE ADVANAGES FROM THE DESIGN
Minimized impurity content and better quality.Measured extraction of essential oils.