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Sleepingstar said:
Cyonic, but wouldn’t steam distillation have the possibility of pressure building?  I don’t feel confident enough to build one.

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You asked how to obtain essential oils. Steam distillation IS the technique people use to obtain essential oils.

No pressure won't build up any more than a n a kettle.

It's not steaming in a pressure cooker.

The method for obtaining essential oils is  a round bottom flask filled partially with water on a heat source. I stead of the round bottom flask connecting to a condenser there is another chamber sitting stop that that is filled with plant materiel.  After that comes the condenser that drips out the liquid containing the oil.

What happens is steam is produced in the flask of water at the heat source it leaves that flask and enters the chamber containing the plant materiel. While in there it heats op the volatile oils which are then realeased from the plant materiel into the steam. Next, it travels with the steam into the condenser where it cools down with the water and drips out the other end.

This is a glass, lab distillation apparatus, not something that is sealed in there. And it is steam, not alcohol or solvent vapor so there is no concern about explosions.

Any pressure build up would simply cause steam to escape from the joints of the apparatus that fit together without forming an air tight seal. It is air tight up to a very small amount but any pressure at all would cause steam to come out at the joints.

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