How to Extract Essential Oil Using Butane

There are many ways to extract essential oil from plant materials. A quick and easy way to do this is to use butane. The butane ruptures the cell walls of the plant material, releasing the essential oils. When the butane evaporates (which it does at room temperatures comfortable to humans), it leaves behind the pure essential oil that can be used in home made soap, cosmetics, candles or potpourri.

Things You'll Need

• 2 foot length of stainless steel pipe
• Pipe cap fitting
• Drill
• Coffee filter
• Hose clamp
• 12 to 16 ounces of pressurized butane
• Glass container

Instructions

1. Drill a hole in the center of the pipe cap fitting the approximate size of the nozzle on the can of butane.

2. Put the coffee filter over one end of the pipe. Secure by slipping the hose clamp over the end of the pipe and tightening its screw.

3. Loosely fill the pipe with the plant material from which you are going to extract essential oil.

4. Put the pipe cap fitting on the other end of the pipe.

5. Insert the nozzle of the butane into the hole you drilled in the pipe cap. With the butane can upside down, disperse the entire contents into the pipe.

6. With the coffee filter at the bottom, hold the pipe over the glass container. The butane will drip through the coffee filter into the container. It should only take about 5 to 10 minutes for all of the butane to drain out.

7. Allow the mixture that dripped into the glass container to sit for six to 24 hours so all of the butane evaporates. You are left with essential oil that should have the consistency of thin jelly.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want a finished product that is more liquid, add a few drops of pure isopropyl alcohol to the viscous essential oil after all of the butane is evaporated. This project uses the type of butane that is used to fill refillable cigarette and pipe lighters.

• -Do not add alcohol to the resulting essential oil until all of the butane has evaporated; the mixture may become unstable and boil over the sides of the container. -Perform this operation outdoors when temperatures are between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. -Do not smoke when extracting essential oil with butane.

References

• Extract essential oil.