Executive Summary
A botanical ingredients manufacturer sought to expand its production capacity for high-purity Curcumin extracts to meet growing global demand from the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors. The objective was to establish a fully integrated, GMP-oriented extraction facility capable of producing Curcumin with purities ranging from 95% to 98%, while ensuring maximum recovery, reduced solvent consumption, and consistent product quality.
Mechotech designed, manufactured, supplied, installed, and commissioned a Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Extraction Plant incorporating advanced solvent extraction, multi-stage filtration, vacuum concentration, crystallisation, centrifugation, drying, and high-efficiency solvent recovery systems.
Customer Challenges
The customer experienced several operational issues with its existing production process:
- Low Curcumin recovery from turmeric rhizomes
- High solvent losses leading to increased operating costs
- Inconsistent product purity across batches
- Long processing cycles
- High energy consumption
- Labour-intensive manual operations
- Difficulty meeting stringent international quality standards
- Limited production capacity
- Need for scalable, automated operations
Project Objectives
The project was designed to achieve the following goals:
- Process 10 Tons of Turmeric Rhizomes per day
- Produce Curcumin standardised to 95–98% purity
- Maximise Curcuminoid recovery
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Reduce production costs
- Improve batch consistency
- Comply with GMP and international safety standards
- Enable future production expansion
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Curcuma longa
- Common Name
- Turmeric
- Plant Part Used
- Dried Rhizomes
- Incoming Moisture
- 8–10%
- Particle Size
- 10–20 mm after milling
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 10,000 kg/day
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
Turmeric rhizomes are cleaned to remove dust, stones, and foreign matter before being milled to an optimised particle size that ensures efficient solvent penetration and Curcuminoid extraction.
Solvent Extraction
Prepared turmeric is charged into stainless steel extraction vessels where food-grade ethanol is circulated under carefully controlled temperature and pressure conditions.
The extraction process is optimised to achieve:
- Preservation of active compounds
- Reduced extraction time
- Uniform batch quality
Filtration
The extract passes through a multi-stage filtration system that removes suspended solids while minimising valuable product losses.
Vacuum Concentration
The clarified extract enters a vacuum evaporator where ethanol is gently separated under reduced pressure.
Advantages include:
- Protection of heat-sensitive compounds
- Lower steam consumption
- Improved solvent recovery
- Enhanced product stability
Crystallisation
Concentrated extract is transferred to specially designed crystallisers where process parameters are precisely controlled to form high-purity Curcumin crystals.
Key process controls include:
- Cooling profile
- Agitation speed
- Crystal growth time
- Purity optimisation
Centrifugation
The crystal slurry is processed through high-speed centrifuges to separate Curcumin crystals from the mother liquor.
This stage ensures:
- Higher crystal purity
- Reduced solvent retention
- Efficient solid-liquid separation
Drying
The wet crystals are dried under vacuum to preserve colour, purity, and chemical stability while minimising oxidation.
The final product exhibits:
- Bright yellow-orange appearance
- Low residual moisture
- High shelf stability
Pulverising & Standardisation
Dried Curcumin crystals are milled and blended to achieve the desired particle size and customer-specific purity requirements before final packaging.
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning System
- Hammer Mill
- Stainless Steel Extraction Vessels
- Solvent Storage Tanks
- Extraction Pumps
- Pressure Leaf Filters
- Plate & Frame Filters
- Vacuum Evaporator
- Multi-Stage Condensers
- Crystallisers
- Industrial Centrifuges
- Vacuum Tray Dryer
- Pulveriser
- Blending System
- Solvent Recovery Unit
- CIP System
- PLC-Based Automation Panel
- Electrical MCC
- Instrumentation & Process Controls
Automation Features
The plant is equipped with an advanced PLC-SCADA automation platform providing:
- Automated recipe management
- Batch tracking
- Temperature and pressure control
- Solvent level monitoring
- Crystallisation control
- Alarm and safety interlocks
- Historical data logging
- Energy consumption monitoring
- Production reporting
- Remote troubleshooting capabilities
GMP & Safety Features
Designed in accordance with international GMP standards, the facility includes:
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic piping systems
- Sanitary valves and fittings
- Closed-loop solvent handling
- Explosion-proof electrical components
- Nitrogen blanketing for solvent tanks
- Pressure relief devices
- Emergency shutdown systems
- CIP-ready equipment
- Flameproof instrumentation in hazardous zones
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- Cooling Tower
- Chilled Water System
- Vacuum System
- Air Compressor
- Electrical Power Supply
- Soft Water System
- Nitrogen Supply
Customer Benefits
After successful commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Increased Curcumin recovery
- Significant reduction in solvent consumption
- Lower production costs
- Faster batch turnaround
- Reduced manpower requirements
- Enhanced product quality for global markets
- Improved operator safety
- Reliable continuous production
- Strong return on investment through reduced operating expenses
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mechotech?
Mechotech specialises in turnkey extraction and processing plants for botanical, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, food, and specialty chemical industries. Our expertise in solvent extraction, crystallisation, solvent recovery, process automation, and GMP-oriented engineering enables customers to manufacture premium-quality Curcumin.
Conclusion
The Curcumin Extraction Plant developed by Mechotech demonstrates advanced process engineering for the production of high-purity Curcuminoids. By integrating efficient extraction, precision crystallisation, advanced solvent recovery, and intelligent automation, the facility combines these process stages in a single turnkey solution.
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