New Essential oil distillation system Design and construction- Year 1

Abstract. Mint oil is used for flavorings in many food and hygiene products. The batch process currently used for extracting mint oil is very energy intensive. This project is developing a continuous-flow steam distillation system that should require less energy per pound of oil recovered compared to the current method. In 2016 a prototype distillation unit was design and tested during the July-August harvest season in south central. The distillation unit uses a covered tough with a ribbon auger to mix and translate the mint hay through the unit. Steam is injected in the bottom of the tough and the oil/steam mixture is routed to a standard industry condenser. Year 1 exposed some weaknesses of our design but most were overcome quickly. Based on residual extraction testing we had an extraction percentage up to 82 percent.