Fractionated Distillation Behavior and Aroma Component Enrichment of Citronella Oil (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) from West Sumatra

Abstract

This study aimed to separate the constituent components of citronella oil into several fractions with high purity and to identify the characteristics of the resulting fractions. The research was conducted using an exploratory approach to investigate the fractionation behavior of citronella oil more deeply. The raw materials were citronella oils obtained from three regions in West Sumatra: Batusangkar, Solok, and Pasaman Timur. Fractionation was carried out at a pressure of 0.8 bar, with a gradual increase in temperature divided into four fractionation temperature ranges: F1 (138–150°C), F2 (150–160°C), F3 (160–170°C), and F4 (170–180°C). Analyses performed on the citronella oil before and after fractionated distillation included component concentration using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), as well as density and yield analyses. The results showed that applying a pressure of 0.8 bar increased the purity of citronella oil components. The highest concentrations were obtained in limonene (10.57% at F1, Pasaman Timur), citronellal (56.04% at F1, Batusangkar), citronellol (22.67% at F4, Batusangkar), geraniol (26.98% at F4, Batusangkar), and geranyl acetate (17.71% at F4, Pasaman Timur). The highest fraction yield was found in F1 at 46% (Batusangkar), followed by F2 at 17% (Pasaman Timur), F3 at 12.5% (Solok), and F4 at 8.53% (Pasaman Timur). Furthermore, the best density, which met the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), was observed in the Pasaman Timur citronella oil. The measured densities were 0.8818 g/cm³ for the crude oil, 0.8674 g/cm³ for F1, 0.8843 g/cm³ for F2, 0.8890 g/cm³ for F3, and 0.8923 g/cm³ for F4.