Steam Distiller

Vapour distillation is used to extract the essential oils of many essences.

In contrast to the previous types of distillation, in this case we are talking about compounds that cannot be mixed together. This is the method that can be used when working with volatile solids or 'high boiling' mixtures that cannot be mixed with water.

: Vapour distillation
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One of the compounds will be water vapour, which can be generated externally and then conveyed into the flask containing the second compound. Or it can be produced internally in the distillation system. The boiling point of the mixture will be lower than both the boiling point of the water and that of the compound to be distilled.

This technique has the advantage of being able to distil compounds that would otherwise boil at very high temperatures or that could undergo degradation.

Another really interesting feature of this distillation is that you eventually get the compound you wanted to distil condensed together with water, but since we are talking about immiscible compounds, these will form two distinct and therefore easily separable phases.

Colaver supplies equipment to many herbal and cosmetic laboratories that use these techniques to extract essences from substances.


: The chemist Primo Levi

"Distilling involves a metamorphosis: from liquid to (invisible) vapour, and from this again to liquid; but in this double journey, upwards and downwards, one reaches purity, an ambiguous and fascinating condition, which starts from chemistry and goes very far".
Primo Levi