How is this eucalyptus leaf oil extracted?
The oil is produced by steam distillation of fresh eucalyptus leaves, followed by vacuum rectification to concentrate 1,8-cineole and remove impurities. This is the standard process defined by QB/T 2545-2011, GB 1886.33-2015 and ISO 770:2002.
Extraction Process
| Stage | Process detail |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Fresh E. globulus leaves washed, chopped to 2-5 cm pieces |
| Steam distillation | Vertical 304 stainless stills, 100-105°C, 3-5 hours, direct/indirect steam |
| Condensation | Shell-and-tube condensers, cooling water 5-15°C |
| Oil-water separation | Florentine flask / continuous separator, gravity separation |
| Vacuum rectification | Packed column (≥25 theoretical plates), 5-15 kPa, reflux ratio 3-8 |
| Fraction cutting | Cut heads / main cineole fraction / tails; safrole tail (232-234°C) cut away from cineole (176-177°C) |
| Finishing | Polishing filtration (0.22-1 μm), heavy-metal & GC QC, filling |
- The crude oil typically contains 50-60% 1,8-cineole; vacuum rectification concentrates it to ≥80% (household/food grade) or ≥70% (pharmaceutical grade per ChP/EP)
- Rectification also removes safrole (mandatory: not detected for E. globulus single-source food grade) and low-boiling odor compounds
- Steam distillation uses pure water steam only — no organic solvent, no additives
- Every batch is confirmed by GC analysis (1,8-cineole per GB/T 14454.7 or EP 0390 conditions) before release
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This article was published on 2026-09-07, and last updated on 2026-09-07. The article will be continuously updated.
