The separating funnel is a laboratory device specially used for the separation of biphasic mixtures. When we make an essential oil or hydrolate (flower water) we will obtain 2 materials with different properties. One is essential oil, the other is hydrosol, also called flower water.
Essential oils are composed of hydrocarbons that carry the fat-soluble active ingredients of the plant and are completely volatile at room temperature. The water used for distillation will also contain large amounts of useful perfume and medicinal components.
However, during distillation, these two materials will reach our cooling unit at the same time, where they will then be condensed, ie they will become liquid. In the separating funnel, the condensed mixture is well separated because they have a different specific gravity.
Our mixture will consist of 2 phases (oily phase, aqueous phase) which can be drained easily and very accurately in separate vessels using the drain tap.
