Optimization of Essential Oil Extraction Using Pomelo Peels as the Raw Material: A Process Study

Abstract

Essential oils are natural extracts known for their versatility, capturing widespread interest due to their diverse applications and the increasing consumer preference for safe and efficient health solutions. Their inherent natural properties make them valuable in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles. In that respect, this research focuses on optimizing essential oil extraction using waste pomelo peels as the raw material. There two extraction methods, water distillation and Soxhlet, were employed to investigate the feasibility of utilizing pomelo peels for essential oil extraction. The main objectives that were meant to be achieved in this research included comparing the efficiency of water distillation and Soxhlet extraction methods, optimizing the essential oil extraction process by adjusting vital physical parameters, and determining the most effective pomelo peels. The waste pomelo peels required for oil extraction were collected around the Colombo district (Sri Lanka). Two distillation setups were used for water distillation: industrial-scale water distillation and lab-scale water distillation apparatus. The investigations revealed that Fresh-Grind pomelo peels exhibited notably higher efficiency for water distillation, with a yield of 0.8%. There the oil extraction yield for the industrial and laboratory extraction setup was reported as 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively. The Soxhlet experiments were conducted using various solvents: toluene, acetone, n-hexane, methanol and acetonitrile. However, based on the experiment results, n-hexane emerged as the most effective, yielding an efficiency of 7.1%. So, the Soxhlet extraction method was selected to optimize the process followed in essential oil extraction by waste pomelo peels.