How is this michelia leaf oil extracted?
This michelia leaf oil is produced by steam distillation of fresh white michelia leaves — the classic and only industrial route for the oil, and the method prescribed by GB 1886.276-2016 (food additive standard for michelia leaf oil). Fresh leaves are chopped to 3-5 mm, loaded into batch stills with a ~0.3 packing factor, and treated with direct steam at 0.3 MPa (100-105°C) for 4-6 hours.
Extraction Technology
| Method | Notes | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Steam distillation | Industrial mainstream; fresh chopped leaves, direct steam, 4-6 h per batch | Food / cosmetic / perfume full production |
| Hydro-distillation | Traditional small stills; slower, lower linalool recovery | Small household mills |
| Rectification / fractionation | Vacuum column concentrates linalool | High-purity (≥90%) special grades |
| Hydrodiffusion | Rare for this oil; leaves distil fast but yield rises marginally | Pilot lines |
- Oil yield is low — about 0.2-0.3% of the fresh leaf weight — so a 1,000 kg batch of leaves gives only 2-3 kg of oil
- The distillate is separated in a continuous Florentine separator, dried and nitrogen-blanketed before filling, because linalool oxidises if exposed to air
- A low-temperature cold trap recovers escaping linalool from the exhaust and raises overall recovery by 0.3-0.5%
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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.
