Hydro-distillation

Involves soaking and then boiling agarwood chips in water to separate the oil.

The process typically includes: 1) grinding the agarwood into a coarse powder, 2) soaking the powder in water, potentially for several days, and 3) distilling the mixture to separate the essential oil from the water.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

1. Preparation:

Grinding: Agarwood is typically ground into a coarse powder to increase the surface area for better extraction.

Soaking: The powdered agarwood is soaked in water, sometimes for extended periods (e.g., 10-12 days), to help release the oil.

2. Distillation:

Heating: The soaked agarwood and water mixture is heated, causing the water to boil and generate steam that carries the volatile essential oil molecules.
Condensation: The steam is then passed through a condenser, where it cools and turns back into a liquid (a mixture of water and oil).
Separation: The oil, being less dense than water, will float on top of the condensed water and can be collected.

3. Key Aspects:

Water as a medium: Water is used as the extraction medium, which helps to protect the oil from high temperatures and degradation.
Temperature control: While hydro-distillation typically involves boiling water, some methods may use reduced pressures to lower the boiling point and further protect the oil.

 

 

 

Agarwood is graded based on resin content, with “Boya” being one of the grades extracted through hydro-distillation.
Other grades, like “Boha” and “Khara,” may also be extracted using similar methods.
The quality and aroma of the oil can vary based on the wood’s origin, age, and the extraction method used.