Applications
Steam distillation is employed in the manufacture of essential oils, for use in perfumes, for example. In this method, steam is passed through the plant material containing the desired oils. Eucalyptus oil and orange oil are obtained by this method on the industrial scale. Steam distillation is also sometimes used to separate intermediate or final products during the synthesis of complex organic compounds.
Steam distillation is also widely used in petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants where it is commonly referred to as "steam stripping".
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