Extraction of Citronella Oil (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) using Hydrodistillation Method: The Effect of F/S Ratio and Extraction Time

Abstract

Essential oils are volatile aromatic compounds produced by plants. Essential oils are known by various names, including ethereal oils because they have ether properties, volatile oils because they evaporate easily at room temperature, and essential oils because they contain the essence of a plant. Lemongrass is one of the plants that produce essential oils. Extraction of citronella oil can use several methods such as hydrodistillation, pressing, solvent extraction, and adsorption by vaporizing solid fat (enfleurage). In this study the method that will be used is hydrodistillation. This study aims to determine the effect of the mass ratio of citronella oil to the volume of solvent, namely aquadest, on the yield of citronella oil and to determine the effect of the length of extraction time required on the yield of citronella oil.