Ylang Ylang — Flower
Ylang Ylang — Flower
Purity Levels
Flower (Cananga odorata) — ester/sesquiterpene oil, fractionally graded Extra, First, Second & Third
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey flower oils distillation plants for Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata), one of the few essential oils in commercial production where the distillation itself is deliberately interrupted at defined intervals to separate the batch into distinct fractions — Extra, First, Second, and Third grade — each with a different balance of esters, sesquiterpenes, and heavier constituents. As a ylang ylang oil extraction plant manufacturer, we supply the complete machinery — flower handling, fractional-cut steam distillation with staged collection, condensation, and oil-water separation — to process fresh ylang ylang flowers into graded, specification-consistent essential oils for the perfumery, fragrance, and cosmetic industries.
Mechotech's Ylang Ylang plant is engineered around the genuine, well-established fractional-grading convention unique among common essential oils: because ylang ylang's aroma compounds volatilise from the flower at different rates during a single extended distillation, cutting the collected condensate at set intervals yields fractions of distinctly different character rather than one uniform oil. The earliest fraction collected (Extra grade) is lightest and most ester-rich — carrying compounds such as geranyl acetate and linalool associated with the finest, most floral character — while later fractions (First, Second, Third) progressively carry more of the heavier sesquiterpene fraction, including constituents such as germacrene D, and are valued differently by perfumers for base-note and cost-driven blending. Mechotech's still and collection train are built with staged fraction-cut valving to support this real industry practice, rather than the single continuous collection used for most leaf and root oils. Built in SS 316L with integrated condensers, oil-water separation, PLC-based automation, and full documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Ylang Ylang Flower Oil Distillation Plant |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Cananga odorata |
| Raw Material | Fresh ylang ylang flowers |
| Plant Part | Flower |
| Marker Compound | Germacrene-D (per the Sureka Life Sciences catalogue entry for Ylang Ylang Distillation) |
| Extract Type | Essential oil, fractionally graded (Extra / First / Second / Third), or complete oil; hydrosol co-product |
| Oil Chemistry | Esters and sesquiterpenes — geranyl acetate, linalool, and germacrene D are well-documented constituents; qualitative profile, no fabricated assay percentage |
| Extraction Method | Steam distillation with staged fraction-cut collection |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, CIP-cleanable |
| Grading Convention | Fractional distillation cut — Extra, First, Second, Third grade, or blended to a Complete oil |
| Condensation & Separation | Multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation; multiple Florentine flasks or a valved separator train for staged fraction collection |
| Automation | Configurable — manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic PLC-SCADA with fraction-cut timing control |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement — pilot to commercial scale |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, soft water, power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP, ISO, IFRA-aligned hygienic design; export documentation support |
| Final Product Form | Graded or complete essential oil plus recoverable hydrosol |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Flower Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Fraction-cut timing validation, grade-yield trials |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Contract distillation, perfumery-house sample runs across grades |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Export-grade continuous graded-oil production |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume; because grade yield depends on precisely timed fraction cuts, we recommend a pilot run to establish cut-point timing for your flower lot and target grade mix before scaling to commercial throughput.
Manufacturing Process
Flower Reception & Handling
Fresh ylang ylang flowers are processed promptly after harvest — the flowers do not tolerate extended storage without aroma degradation — and loaded into the still with minimal delay.
Charging & Fractional-Cut Distillation
The flower charge is steam-distilled in the SS 316L still over an extended run, with the condensate stream deliberately diverted at defined time intervals into separate collection lines. This staged cutting — a genuine, distinctive industry practice unique to ylang ylang among common essential oils — separates the batch into Extra, First, Second, and Third grade fractions rather than a single uniform oil.
Condensation
Vapours pass through an efficient multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation ahead of each fraction-cut collection point, condensing the volatile oil and hydrosol for that stage of the run.
Oil–Water Separation (Staged)
Each fraction's condensate is separated in its own stainless-steel Florentine flask or a valved separator train, keeping the Extra, First, Second, and Third grade oils distinct rather than blending them; the essential oil from each stage is collected while the hydrosol is drawn off.
Polishing & Drying
Each graded fraction (or the blended complete oil, where a buyer wants a single uniform product) is polish-filtered and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate (or by vacuum) to remove residual moisture.
Quality Control & Grading
Each fraction is verified by GC-MS profiling of its ester and sesquiterpene balance alongside physical parameters (specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation), confirming which grade — Extra, First, Second, or Third — the fraction corresponds to before release.
Major Plant Equipment
- Flower reception & handling system
- SS 316L distillation still
- Steam generator / boiler interface
- Multi-tube condenser (chilled-water circulation), staged per fraction cut
- Valved fraction-cut collection manifold
- Multiple stainless-steel Florentine oil-water separators (per grade)
- Polish filtration & drying system
- Hydrosol collection tanks
- Graded-oil storage & drum-filling station
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- PLC-SCADA automation with fraction-cut timing control, electrical MCC & instrumentation
Plant Output
From Plant to Product
Ylang-ylang Distillation
This botanical is also in the product range of Sureka Life Sciences, our sister concern in botanical ingredients.
Applications
- Fine fragrance and perfumery (Extra/First grade floral notes)
- Cosmetic and personal-care formulations
- Aromatherapy and wellness applications
- Soap and lower-cost fragrance compounding (Second/Third grade)
- Flavour-house compounding for floral notes
- Export to regulated-market perfumery and fragrance buyers
- Anxiety, stress-relief and sleep-aid aromatherapy (as listed by Sureka Life Sciences)
- Skin, sebum-balancing and hair-care products (as listed by Sureka Life Sciences)
Key Features
Fraction-Cut Collection Train
A staged, valved condensate collection system supports ylang ylang's genuine, distinctive Extra/First/Second/Third fractional-grading convention — a capability most single-collection distillation lines are not built for.
SS 316L Construction
All product-contact surfaces are SS 316L for corrosion resistance and product purity, with CIP capability between batches.
Efficient Condensation
High-surface-area multi-tube condensers with chilled-water circulation are matched to each fraction-cut stage, minimising losses of the more volatile early-fraction esters.
Prompt Fresh-Flower Processing
The line is designed for rapid flower-to-still handling, since ylang ylang flowers degrade quickly and do not tolerate the extended pre-processing storage acceptable for roots or bark.
Hydrosol Recovery
Integrated separation allows recovery of the aromatic hydrosol as a co-product.
Scalable Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Extra, First, Second, and Third grade' mean for ylang ylang oil?
Can Mechotech's plant also produce a single 'complete' ylang ylang oil?
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Ylang Ylang oil distillation?
Why must ylang ylang flowers be processed quickly after harvest?
What production capacities are available for the Ylang Ylang oil plant?
Which industries use ylang ylang oil, and what quality control is applied?
Who supplies ylang ylang oil extraction plants and equipment?
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