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7.24: Steam Distillation

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    Steam distillation apparatus parts: steam line, steam trap, steam inlet tube
    Figure 7.12: Steam distillation apparatus.
    Table 7.22: Procedural summary for steam distillation.

    Place large amount of plant materials in a large round bottomed flask (no more than half full), and just cover with water.

    Always use a Claisen adapter, as there is often turbulence in the flask.

    Two variations are common:

    • Heat the water with a Bunsen burner to create steam directly.
    • Add steam indirectly through a steam line from the building.

    Collect the distillate at a rate of 1 drop per second.

    The distillate may appear cloudy, or a second layer may form on the top.

    If milky, the distillation can be ceased when the distillate is clear.

    If a steam line was used, be sure to drain the liquid from the steam trap before turning off the steam, to prevent back suction.

    Separated oil can be pipetted (then dried with \(\ce{Na_2SO_4}\)), while milky distillates need to be extracted.

    This page titled 7.24: Steam Distillation is shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lisa Nichols via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.