Assessing the kinetic model on extraction of essential oil and chemical composition from lemon peels (Citrus aurantifolia) by hydro-distillation process

In this study, the hydrodistillation process of lemon peel essential oil was modeled and the obtained essential oil was determined for chemical composition. The modeling was done through non-stationary diffusion model and first-order kinetic model (i.e., fixed diffusion model). The results revealed that the extraction process seemed to closely follow the simultaneous washing and diffusion model (non-stationary diffusion) and the highest yield was obtained at extraction conditions including 3: 1 mL/g of water-to-materials ratio, 204 W of heating capacity and extraction time of 60 min. At optimum conditions, essential oils obtained at the yield of 3.9% (v/w) and its composition was analyzed by GC–MS. The composition of lemon peel essential oil was predominated with Limonene (62.17%) and ϒ-Terpinene (12.356%), which characterizes the scent of this essential oil as well as its increased commercial value.