Commercial Floriculture

Concrete

Concrete
• It is a wax like substance containing the natural flower perfume together with some plant waxes, albumin and colouring matter.
• The natural perfume is available in very small quantity (0.25%) in jasmine flowers in the form of volatile oil.

Processing protocol
Two steps
• Dissolving the perfume material by treating the flowers with solvent.
• Removal of the solvent from the perfume material by evaporation.

Equipments required
Extractor (Rotary type of 3 kg capacity)
1. Evaporator (wide mouthed circular stainless steel bowel of 25 litre capacity with air tight lid + hole at the center for the outlet of solvent vapour)
2. Condenser (Stainless steel with 12 small pipes fitted parallelly for solvent vapour passing and circulating cold water to condense the solvent).
3. Vacuum distillation unit.
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STEP I – SOLVENT TREATMENT:
Flowers are soaked in Food Grade Hexane (Having Boiling point of 70oC).

Mixing Hexane 2 litres / kg of flowers for 30 minutes

Rotate the container slowly for 20 minutes in the rotary type of extractor.

Perfume substance along with wax and pigments dissolved in Hexane.
STEP II – EVAPORATION:
Perfume laden solvent is led into the evaporator

Evaporation at a constant temperature of 75oC

Vapour of the solvent condemned into liquid for recycling

Liquid (Perfume, wax & pigments) is distilled in a vacuum distillation unit for complete removal of solvent in the still

Floral concrete settled in the still in the form of molten wax

Cooled and Stored in glass (or) aluminum containers
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