Botanical extraction is both an art and a science. The choice of extraction method, solvent, temperature, pressure, and time directly determines the composition and quality of the final extract.

Primary Extraction Techniques

Maceration and Percolation

Traditional methods where plant material is soaked in solvent (water, ethanol) over time. Simple and scalable but may co-extract unwanted compounds.

Steam Distillation

Predominantly used for essential oils. Steam carries volatile aromatic compounds from plant material through condensation into a collector.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE)

Ultrasonic waves create cavitation bubbles that disrupt cell walls, dramatically improving solvent penetration and extract yield while reducing processing time.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)

Uses CO2 above its critical temperature (31.1 °C) and pressure (73.8 bar) as a tunable solvent. Produces clean, residue-free, high-purity extracts.