Chemistry Project

To extract the essential oils present in natural

occurring materials

CHEMISTRY PROJECT - EXTRACTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS 1

 Table Of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1

AIM
2

ANISEED OIL(SAUNF)
3

CARUM OIL (AJWAIN)

4

CARDAMOM (ILLAICHI)
5

EXPERIMENT
6

BIBLIOGRAPHY
7

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 INTRODUCTION
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile

aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils,

aetherol a etc. Essential oils are made up of highly

volatile substances which can be extracted from

numerous plant species. Distillation based

recovery processes such as steam and vacuum

distillation are

preferred for the extraction of essential oils from plant

materials. Virtually all naturally occurring essential

oils are made up of hydrocarbons such as camphene,

pinene, limonene, phellandrene, cedrene, and

oxygenated hydrocarbons such as alcohols,

aldehydes, esters, ethers, ketones, lactones, phenols

and organic acids. The essential oil get their odours

from the oxygenated compounds contained in them

and these confer stability on the oil against oxidation.

The hydrocarbons are less stable and they are

responsible for the degradation observed in the oils. The hydrocarbons contained

in the essential oils are often removed so that the oils can be more stable and still

retain their odours and flavours.

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 AIM
To extract the essential
oils present in the natural
occurring material

CHEMISTRY PROJECT - EXTRACTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS 4

 ANISEED OIL
(SAUNF)

Botanical Name: Pimpinella anisum

Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distillation

Color: Clear

Aromatic Description:Distinctive scent of licorice. Rich and sweet.

Constituents: a-pinene, camphene, B-pinene, linalool, cis-anethole,

trans-anethole, safrole, anisaldehyde, acetoanisole.

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 Uses:

• In aromatherapy, aniseed essential oil is used to treat colds and flu.

• Aniseed oil can be made into a liquid scent and is used for both

hunting and fishing. It is put on fishing lures to attract fish.

• Anethole, the principal component of anise oil, is a precursor that can

eventually produce 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde which is can be used in

the clandestine synthesis of psychedelic drugs such as 2C-B, 2C-I and DOB.

• Oil of aniseed is also reported to be used as an aromatic carminative

to relieve flatulence, and as an ingredient of cough lozenges in

combination with liquorice.

• Essential oil is also used externally as an insecticide against small

insects such as head lice, mites and vermin. It also has fungicidal

properties.

CHEMISTRY PROJECT - EXTRACTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS 6

 CAROM OIL(AJWAIN)

Botanical name :Trachyspermum ammi

Common Method of Extraction :Distillation

Aroma:Warm, Pungent,Peppery

Extraction:

Ajwain oil is extracted from the crushed seeds of ajwain by the method

of steam distillation.

Chemical composition:

The main constituents of the ajwain oil are thymol, gamma-terpinene, p-

cymene, and beta-pinene. Alpha-pinene, alpha-thujene, beta-myrcene,

carvacrol, limonene, and terpinene-4-ol.There are variations in the

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composition of ajwain oils depending upon the region where it is cultivated.

For instance, ajwain oil collected from Southern India is rich in thymol.

Uses:

• Skin Ailments: Ajwain can help with pimples.

• Digestive Aid:One can treat indigestion, ulcers, and various other

bacterial infections of the gut with ajwain seeds and essential oil.

• Aromatherapy: Useful in aromatherapy, ajwain oil offers calming

sensations that relieves neuralgia and migraines.

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 CARDAMOM OIL
(ILLAICHI)

Botanical Name: Elettaria cardamonum

Common Method Of Extraction: Steam Distillation

Aroma: Very complex and smooth spice aroma

Extraction:

Cardamom oil is extracted using steam distillation method. For this,

seeds of the fruit are used just before they ripe. The yield through this

process is normally 1 to 5 per cent.

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 Chemical Composition:

Cardamom oil contains sabinene, myrcene, a-pinene, b-pinene, a-

phellandrene, limonene, p-cymene, terpinolene, 1,8-cineole, y-terpinene,

linalool, linalyl acetate, a-terpineol acetate, citronellol, nerol, terpinen-4-oil, a-

terpineol, geraniol, methyl eugenol and trans-nerolidol.

Uses: Cardamom oil has a vast range of usage for treatment of sciatica,

coughs, abdominal pains, spasm and nervous disorders. Traditionally, it is

used for pulmonary disease, fever, digestive and urinary problems in India

and China for over 3000 years. It is also used to flavour pharmaceutical

products. Apart from pharmaceutical usage, cardamom oil is also used as a

fragrant in soaps, perfumes and cosmetic products.

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 EXPERIMENT
Materials Required:
• Steam generator (Copper Vessel)
• round bottom flask (500 ml),
• conical flask
• Condenser
• glass tubes
• iron stand
• sand bath
• separatory funnel
• tripod stands
• burners
• Ajwain(Carum)
• Petroleum ether(60-80°C)
• Saunf(Aniseed)

Procedure:
1. Set the apparatus as shown in the picture of Experimental
Setup. The apparatus consists of a steam generator connected
to the round bottom flask through a glass inlet tube. The flask
is connected to a water condenser through a glass outlet tube.
Condenser is further attached to a receiver through an adaptor.

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 2. Take about 750ml of water in the steam generator and start
heating to produce steam.
3. In the round bottom flask take about 75g of crushed
saunf(aniseed).
4. A vigorous current of steam from steam generator is passed
through the round bottom
flask.
5. A part of the steam condenses
in the round bottom flask. As
more and more steam is passed,
the steam volatile components
of saunf pass through
condenser along with steam. These contents on condensation
are collected in the receiver.
6. The contents in the round bottom flask may be heated by a
bunsen burner to prevent excessive condensation of steam.
7. The process of steam distillation is continued for about half an
hour.
8. Transfer the distillate to a separating funnel and extract with
20ml portions of petroleum ether 3 times.
9. Combine the petroleum ether extracts in a 250ml conical flask
and dry it with the help of anhydrous sodium sulphate.

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 10. Remove the solvent from the dried filtrate by careful
distillation in a water bath. The essential oil is left behind in the
distillation flask.
11. Find the weight of the extracted essential oil. Note the colour,
odour and weight of the essential oil.

Experimental setup

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 Observations:
1. Saunf(Aniseed):

Weight of Saunf taken= 100g

Initial weight of the bottle= 10g(x)
Weight of bottle+essential oil= 11.25g(y)
Weight of essential extracted= (y-x)= 1.25g
Percentage of essential oil=(y/100)*100=1.25%
Colour of the oil= Colourless
Odour of the oil= saunf like smell

2. Ajwain(Carum):
Weight of Saunf taken=75g
Initial Weight of the bottle=10g(x)
Weight of the bottle + essential oil=11g(y)
Weight of essential oil extracted=(y-x)=1g
Percentage of essential oil= (y/75)*100=1.33%
Colour of the oil= colourless

Odour of the oil= Ajwain like smell

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 RESULT:
Essential oils present in aniseed, carum and
cardamom are extracted from this method.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
• www.slideshare.net

• www.zemvelocare.com

• www.katyaniexports.com

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