Shoreline Community College Distillation of an Essential Oil Lab Report Questions: Comment on differences between the original plant sample, the sample aft

Shoreline Community College Distillation of an Essential Oil Lab Report Questions: Comment on differences between the original plant sample, the sample after distillation, the water left in the bottom of the pot after distillation, and the collected distillate. What might account for those differences?How would the following experimental errors affect the final distillate?Pouring added water into the collection bowl, not the bottom of the pot.Using a very small amount of plant matter to begin with. Discussion: Distillation is a very widely used and important technique. List some applications or uses of this technique other than distilling essential oils. Be sure to cite any references/sites used, using ACS style. Citation guide: https://libguides.williams.edu/citing/acs (Links to an external site.) Conclusion: Address how the objective was met. Distillation of an Essential Oil Lab
Objective:
In this experiment, we will isolate the main component derived from a plant by
ditillation.
Introduction:
Distillation can be used to separate mixtures into their pure substance components.
Essential oils are volatile compounds responsible for the aromas commonly associated
with many plants. In this experiment, you will isolate the main component derived from
some plant by steam distillation. Steam distillation provides a means of isolating natural
products, such as essential oils, without the risk of decomposing them thermally.
Pavia, D., Kriz, G., Lampman, G., Engel, R. A Microscale Approach to Organic Laboratory Techniques, Sixth
Edition. Cengage Learning: Boston, 2003; p 120.
Introduction Video: Steam Distillation At-Home (Links to an external site.)**View
before moving on to procedure.
Procedure:
Materials and supplies:
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A large stockpot or soup pot with a lid
Something durable to support the collection device
o A rack, a steamer basket, an upside-down heatproof bowl, some bricks
A bowl to collect distillate
Sample to be extracted
o plant, herb, or spice with a strong scent
A means of crushing the sample
o A mortar and pestle, a knife, scissors
Ice cubes (in a large ziplock bag, optionally)
Water
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A stove
Hot pads or oven mitts
A freezer or refrigerator
1. Select a sample to extract. A good sample will have a strong scent, which means it
has plenty of oil to extract. Suggestions: citrus peels, lavender flowers, rosemary,
juniper, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, flowers, herbs. The more sample you have,
the more oil you can extract. At minimum, one cup is recommended for leafy plants.
Dried spices like cloves or lavender flowers can be used in smaller amounts.
2. Set up your distillation apparatus. Place the stockpot on a large burner of your stove.
Place the rack or other support system into the bottom of the stockpot. Chop or
crush your sample to release oils, then place it on the bottom of the stockpot around
the support system. Pour water over the sample but do not cover the support.
3. Set the collection bowl on the support, centered in the middle of the pot. Place the
lid on the pot upside-down, so that it curves downward into the pot. Vapors will
collect on the lid, condense into liquid, and then drip into the bowl. Place some ice
cubes in the lid, which will cool down the vapors and speed up collection. You will
need to replace these frequently. It will be easier to change them if they are in a
ziplock bag. As the ice cubes melt, empty the bag and refill it without disturbing the
distillation apparatus.
4. Turn the heat on under your pot and allow the water to boil. Allow the system to
distill for about three hours. As the ice cubes melt, empty the bag and refill it without
disturbing the distillation apparatus. Every 45 minutes or so, carefully open the
apparatus and add more water if needed. Do not allow any added water to pour into
the collection bowl, only over the sample at the base of the pot.
5. When you are finished, turn off the heat and allow the system to cool. Carefully lift
the bowl full of distillate out of the apparatus. It should be full of cloudy water,
possibly with a layer of oil on top. Let this stand to separate any additional oil. Once
it has reached room temperature, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator or freezer.
Allow it to cool for a few hours. The oil should solidify before the water does. Lift the
solidified oil out of the bowl and transfer it to a small jar or bowl to keep it.
You can mix the oil with soap or lotion to scent it, or you can use the oil in an oil diffuser
to carry the scent throughout a room.
Be sure to take qualitative observations through the entire experimental process.
Particularly note what the original sample material smells like and compare it to the final
extracted oil.
Visual References:
Laboratory Steam Distillation – Jove (Links to an external site.)
Carrying out a Steam Distillation – Royal Society of Chemistry (Links to an external site.)
Questions: * Do not repeat the question. Remember to answer in complete
sentences and answer in such a way that the reader knows what is asked.
1. Comment on differences between the original plant sample, the sample after
distillation, the water left in the bottom of the pot after distillation, and the collected
distillate. What might account for those differences?
2. How would the following experimental errors affect the final distillate?
1. Pouring added water into the collection bowl, not the bottom of the pot.
2. Using a very small amount of plant matter to begin with.
Discussion: Distillation is a very widely used and important technique. List some
applications or uses of this technique other than distilling essential oils. Be sure to cite
any references/sites used, using ACS style. Citation
guide: https://libguides.williams.edu/citing/acs (Links to an external site.)
Conclusion: Address how the objective was met.

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