Extraction and Characterization of Essential Oils from Lemongrass and <i>Artemisia absinthium</i> for Perfume Formulation

Perfume extraction is the process of isolating fragrant compounds from raw materials using methods like distillation, solvent extraction, expression, or enfleurage. In this work, essential oil, which is suitable for perfume formulation, is extracted from lemongrass with the help of solvent extraction method. The experiment was conducted by varying the time of extraction. The yield of oil was measured for samples produced by setting the extraction time at 4hr, 8hr and 10hr. The extracted essential oil was incorporated into a perfume formulation with the addition of a fixative and a carrier solvent. The Perfume preparation was done by taking different ratio of notes; these notes are top notes, middle note and base notes respectively. The highest yield I obtained from the experiment (0.83%) conducted for the time duration of 10hr from 70g of lemongrass. As time passes, the ethanol solvent evaporates, leaving the essential oil concentrated in the mixture. In this study the essential oil which was obtained for extraction time of 10hrs was characterized for properties such as boiling point, stain test and physical properties. The success of this work could stimulate the growth of the perfume industry and create job opportunities by utilizing locally available, low-cost raw materials.