• Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).

Can Limonene be distilled?

Migrated topic.
I've been thinking about that too. It would save a bundle of cash. I'm going to try as soon as I get going with this, do side by side extractions with clean and re-distilled limonene, compare the yields. Its a question that needs to be answered.

I think the boiling point is highish, like 380C or something?
 
You don't need a high temperature to do it. You just need boiling water.

Just mix in some water and it distills along with it. Pretty cool.
 
A setup like this would work well enough, wouldn't it?
alembic.png
 
I wouldn't use that setup with open fire and no condenser!
But it can be done, I once distilled some naphta in the kitchen. And a bit of ethanol (illegal!).

If you're going to (steam) distill, why not start with orange peels and make your own limonene:

Not very practical but purely for educational purposes ;)
 
definitely not practical, but good for practice.
limonene is excellent for adhesive removal, paint thinning, and anti-bacterial applications. very nice compound to have

steam distillation is a great application to get those essential oils. it often takes a lot of plant materials, though it's still relevant for getting those flavoring extracts and aromatherapy goodies. cinnamaldehyde is my fav, followed by menthol/menthone, limonene, carvone, and pinene.
 
burnt said:
Just because the boiling point is higher then 100 degrees doesn't mean it does not distill. Limonene and most essential oils can be isolated by steam distillation very easly.

But yes doing this from plant material requires LOTS of plant material and is not practical for most purposes.
Click to expand...

It's never a bad thing to know how to make ones own solvents. Who knows what the country and the laws will be like in the future.
 
knowing the boiling point of the solvent (in this case, limonene) is useful if one wants to purify it. a fractional distillation setup, say, using a vigreaux column, is one way this could be achieved.


I'd have to agree... the laws in many states (i.e. Texas) are draconian; I've said it before. it's becoming increasingly difficult, because of company liability, to use the DIY ethic. I hope during this admin's watch, that changes...but I won't hold my breath.
 
Back
Top Bottom