Harnessing the Solar Energy in Extracting Essential Oil for Community Based Perfumery and Aromatherapy

摘要

The study is focused on the use of solar energy in extracting essential oil as alternative process of extracting essential oil. In particular, it determined the rate of extraction and percent yield at normal temperature and weather condition. Four kinds of plant samples with known aromatic characters and pharmaceutical importance, Sambong ( Conyza balsamifera Linn), Oregano ( Plectranthus amboinicus, Lour. ), Lem ongrass ( Cymbopogon citrates ) and Roses ( Rosa damascena ) were used as samples. The plant samples were air dried and weighed and then transferred to the designed solar essential oil extractor. The rate of extraction was measured in terms of the volume of plant extract per day expressed in ml/day and the percent yield was measured in terms of the ratio between volume of plant extracts and the mass of plant samples multiplied by 100%. Results showed that it is possible to extract essential oil from plants using the sun as source of energy. The rate of extraction varies with the plant samples with oregano as the fastest (3.4 ml/day) and rose petals the slowest (1.8 ml/day). The essential oil extraction process can last for 9 days. The percent yield of plant extracts varies with the kind of plant samples with sambong ( Conyza balsamifera Linn) having the highest percent yield (72%) and rose petals ( Rosa damascena ) the lowest (18.5%).