Plant Extraction Lab: Steam Distillation vs Soxhlet

Extraction method (camera focus)

Target compound

Volatile, non-polar terpene from citrus peel.

Volatility0%

Solvent affinity0%

Elapsed time

0.0 s

Soxhlet cycles

Extraction yield (live comparison)

Steam dist.0%

Soxhlet0%

Steam distillation only pulls compounds volatile enough to ride water vapour. Soxhlet dissolves compounds cycle by cycle regardless of volatility, gated instead by solubility in the reflux solvent.

Steam distillation

Soxhlet extraction

Plant material Target compound Water / solvent Vapour / condensate

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