HOW ARE THEY EXTRACTED?
There are a variety of methodologies for obtaining chemicals, and other materials, from natural sources.
Some widespread methods include:
1.Distillation: Distillation is a method whereby a mixture is heated and the components are separated based on boiling point differences. An example would be essential oils extracted from plants with steam distillation.
2.Extraction with solvents: Solvents such as, but not limited to, ethanol or hexane are most often dissolved from solid or liquid matrices. Following extraction, the solvent would be evaporated to isolate the desired material.
3.Cold pressing: Cold-pressing is typically for extracting oils from fruits or seeds. The material is forced through machinery at low temperatures to protect the natural quality of the oil.
4.Filtration: Solid materials can be filtered from a liquid phase by simply passing the liquid through a filtering device that allows the liquid phase to pass while retaining all solid pellets.
5.Soxhlet extraction: Continuous extraction of solvents through cycling to extract compounds efficiently is considered Soxhlet extraction.
Continuous extraction can occur efficiently with solid samples as well. In conclusion, the method used will vary depending on the material being extracted and its properties based on the use of the final product.
Factors such as solubility, temperature, and purity need to be considered when extracting material.
