[Digitalcraze]

This is my first post in this community so if I am posting in the wrong location I am very sorry.

I am a beginner in the chemistry world.  I have a basic understanding of distillation and washing/extracting.  I have also performed some reactions.  I have quite a bit of orange oil that I have steam distilled from oranges that I have left over from trees growing in my back yard.  Are there any washes/extractions/crystallization/reactions I can practice with all this extra oil? just want to put it to some good use.

Thanks for any *delete me*

[Digitalcraze]

Why does my last post say *delete me* at the end? Have I done something wrong?

[Arkcon]

Try not to let the "delete me" worry you.  We have a policy of not giving away answers on this board, so some mods have made any "assist moi" auto-convert to "delete me."  It looks worse if you put it in your Subject: line, and that's the point -- fact is, we know why you've come here, and posted, so there's no need to ask, explicitly, for help.

At any rate, regarding you experiment plans, I'm figuring that you've done all you can do with orange oil, just by steam distilling it.  Here's a suggestion:  what is commercial orange oil used for?  Can you write an experimental plan around testing to see if your product is as good or better than the commercial product?

[Digitalcraze]

Thank you for the answer! I was a bit worried that I may have broken some rule that I overlooked.

I actually have never taken any chemistry.  Most of what I already know is from reading online, or from a book by Zubrick that I purchased a while ago to see if I was truly interested in chemisrty.  (I will be beginning next semester on a long trek through many chemistry courses)
I can however see what you mean by the experiment, possibly as a cleaning solvent. 

I have been looking up the specifics of orange oil and now know that it contains ~90% Limonene.  This is the solvent that is used in many "orange" cleaners.  I have also read that Limonene has a boiling point of about 176°C.  If I distill the oil that I have until I begin to receive distillate at this temp, then change the receiving flask, will I be purifying the Limonene? Or, is there some other way that I would need to do this? 

I guess I am just trying to find ways to practice the basic lab techniques (eg. washing/extracting/reacting/crystallization).