STEAM DISTILLATION The basic process for the production of essential oils is called distillation. In this, the essential oil is extracted from plant raw material with steam, and the separation of the volatile components is based on their different vapor pressures. Depending on the type of raw materials for processing, the available technological equipment at Ecomaat Distillery, enables production of essential oils and floral waters by water, water-steam and steam distillation. The principles of  distillation are known since ancient times - and today they are funda-mental in the production of essential oils, despite the numerous improvements to distillation equipment and processing technology of extraction. The main parameters that determine the quality of the essential oils during production are velocity and temperature of distillation since the most important factor remains the quality of raw materials processed. The proximity of our fields to Ecomaat's distillery in Mirkovo allows rapid entry of the raw material after harvest and immediately downstream processing without loss of fragrant molecules which in most cases is of crucial importance in improving the quality of the essential oils.
| SUPERCRITICAL CO2 EXTRACTION The extraction of active ingredients and essential oils with liquefied gases (commonly known as supercritical fluid extraction - SFE) is a high-tech technology, recognized as the technology of the future in the production of natural aromatic products. This is a process in which, through utilization of specific equipment and "know-how", under certain conditions the properties of liquefied gases (most often carbon dioxide - CO2) are used as a solvent. Under high pressure and low operating temperature, the carbon dioxide goes into supercritical phase and the natural ingredients are derived from the plant raw material - aromatic molecules, active ingredients and vitamins without changing their properties, and preserving all thermo-sensitive substances. After completion of the process, the carbon dioxide is released in gaseous state leaving the extracted product absolutely clean and free of traces of the solvent. Ecomaat Ltd. is the only one company in Bulgaria possessing this unique technology and equipment, applied in industrial scale for the production of natural extracts with unknown purity and with new aromatic features and active properties. | 
