Litsea cubeba oil is our country’s valuable export oil. It contains citral and is one of the important natural fragrances in the fragrance industry. It is of great economic significance to do a good job in the distillation and processing of Litsea cubeba oil and improve the specification, quality and oil yield of the refined oil.

The processing process is now introduced as follows:

1. Selection and installation of distillation equipment. The distillation equipment is mainly composed of three parts: steam drum, boiler and condenser. The steaming barrels are made of wood and iron. Because wooden steaming barrels are prone to air leakage and volatile oil, the oil yield is low, so iron steaming barrels are commonly used in various production areas. Regardless of whether wooden or iron steaming drums, please note that the retort skin should not be in contact with the fire, so as not to scorch the raw materials and damage the quality of the oil. The condenser is preferably a serpentine tube, and it is best to be made of pure tin. For example, if there is no pure tin, it can be made of white iron or copper galvanized. The steaming drum should have the same diameter and height or a height slightly larger than the diameter, and the material capacity should be 200 kg. The boiler should be a new type of product with more than 13 fire tubes, and the installation should be in a place where the water source is convenient. It is best to use tap water with lower water temperature for cooling. The equipment must be carefully inspected before and after installation, and there must be no leaks or gaps. The connections of the equipment must be sealed to prevent gas leakage and oil leakage.

2. Processing methods and steps. (1) Boil the water first, and then put the raw materials into the steaming bucket. When the raw materials are put into the bottle, they should be evenly loaded, and the tightness of each place should not be uneven. (2) For the fire, the firewood must be dry and sufficient, and coal is the best to use the boiler. The fire power should not be large or small, and the fire power should be strong during the initial steaming, and the fire power should be kept even after the steam comes up. (3) A proper amount of water must be maintained in the steamer during the distillation process. If the water level is too low, the scraps will stick to the pot and scorch, which will affect the quality of the oil; if the water level is too high, the bottom raw materials will be boiled by water, reducing the oil output. Therefore, the water meter should be checked frequently. When the water level drops to one-half, add water to the pot. Hot water should be used for adding water. After each processing, the boiler and condensing tube should be cleaned and inspected. (4) The condenser tube should all be immersed in cold water. For cooling, tap water should be used as much as possible, and the water temperature should be kept below 40°C. Too high temperature will reduce the oil yield and degree of oil. (5) When taking the oil, use the oil separator to release all the water under the oil, and put the pure oil into the oil drum. The oil feet should be repeatedly precipitated and filtered before being loaded into the oil drum.

3. Packaging management and transportation. Litsea cubeba oil is corrosive, so please don't use plastic drums to pack the oil lightly. Use white iron or galvanized iron drums instead of full. Keep it in a cool and ventilated place, avoid direct sunlight. Litsea cubeba oil is easy to ignite when combustible materials such as waste cotton and rags are stained with oil. Therefore, they should be treated as hazardous materials during storage and transportation.