Molecular distillation
Molecular distillation is not an extraction method. It splits an extract or oil that has already been separated from the plant into two parts by how its components evaporate: distillate and residue. It is not applied to our current products; it is used per project.
- Document
- pc·t·03
- Revision
- 2026.10
- Status
- Preview
01Principle
Short path, thin film, short time.
At very low pressure (high vacuum) compounds evaporate at lower temperatures. The extract spreads as a thin film along a heated wall; evaporating molecules reach a condenser a few centimetres away by a short path.
The material spends only a short time on the hot surface. This helps separate heat-sensitive, high-boiling compounds under milder conditions and limits oxidation.
02Balance
A decision between purity and yield.
The narrower the cut, the closer the product gets to the target profile, and the less product you get. Where to cut is a commercial decision as much as a technical one: target profile, acceptable yield and unit cost are discussed together.
03Settings
Four variables that shape the result.
- Vacuum level
- Sets the evaporation temperature.
- Wall temperature
- Decides which compounds evaporate.
- Feed rate
- Affects film thickness and residence time.
- Number of passes
- Successive passes allow finer separation.
04Equipment
Thin film evaporator.
- Unit type
- Thin film evaporator Brand statement
- Process design
- 0.25–10 m² evaporation surface Brand statement
- Job
- Separating volatile compounds; removing a co-solvent from the extract Brand statement
- Operating condition
- Low temperature under high vacuum; limits oxidation Brand statement
- Products it is applied to
- Not applied to the seven current products; per project Brand statement