Essential Oil Extraction Method

[deltanine]

I'm looking for an efficient way to extract the essential oil from Jasmine flowers. I've discovered a supplier that will provide me with the flowers for a very low cost, and I want to make an essential oil out of them. I know that for Jasmine, because of its fragile molecular nature, a solvent extraction is required. Steam distillation will not work; it will destroy the perfume of the oil.

 

Does anyone know of an efficient solvent extraction method for Jasmine essential oil?

Which solvent/s do I use?

 

Thank you!

[hermanntrude]

is an essential oil a single substance or a mixture?

[Theophrastus]

Essential oils, are volatile oily compounds, found within various trees and plants, which are generally extracted from them, by selective condensation. I agree, with Hermanntrude however, that if you are going for a chemical means of extraction, you ought to isolate the compounds you desire, directly, or by their type/ functional group, and then go from there. You metioned perfume, so is it that you desire jasmone, or what types of other compounds?

Edited May 3, 2009 by Theophrastus
clarification.

[John Cuthber]

I think this might be the sort of thing they aree after.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfleurage

A straightforward extraction into alcohol might also work.

[Comandante]

I do my extractions using steam distillation mostly, but I've recently been looking into liquid CO2 and how it all works, but I think you'd need a pressurised vessel for that. Enfleurage should probably be the best other way to do this.

[deltanine]

There are well over 100 constituents found in jasmine oil, but the main chemical components are benzyl acetate, linalool, benzyl alcohol, indole, benzyl benzoate, cis-jasmone, geraniol, methyl anthranilate and trace amounts of p. cresol, farnesol, cis-3-hexenyl benzoate, eugenol, nerol, ceosol, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, y-terpineol, nerolidol, isohytol, phytol etc.

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Enfleurage is an old-school method that is way too time consuming. I'm wondering if dimethyl ether would work? Liquid butane is less volatile, but maybe not as effective at extracting the oil. If I were to use dimethyl ether, where would I get it, and what would be a good method at keeping it below its boiling point (-25C)? Butane maybe an easier route seeing how many BBQ tanks have it in them, but it is pressurized gas and I would want it in a liquid. Any ideas?? Thanks for the previous posts.

[Theophrastus]

Personally, I strongly, discourage, for your own safety, playing around with liquid hydrocarbons and ethers. There's a reason why tanks of butane have lovely insignias that look like this:

 

 

Alternatively, dimethyl ether is often used in thermometers, but your yield, would be pitiful, and once again, ethers too, are incredibly violent. I'm too lazy, though based upon the chemicals you desire to extract, you can calculate their polarity, and then choose an adequate solvent, for the chemicals that you want. Of course, you shall by nature (quite literally) attain quantities of chemicals you don't want, but they are most likely safe, in trace quantities, or both.