Executive Summary
A nutraceutical ingredient manufacturer required a turnkey processing facility to produce premium-quality Green Tea Polyphenol Extract standardised to 50%, 70%, 80%, and 98% Polyphenols, including high-EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) grades for international markets.
The client sought an advanced extraction system capable of preserving heat-sensitive catechins, maximising extraction yield, minimising oxidation, and reducing solvent and utility consumption while working to the customer's quality and regulatory requirements, with documentation to support qualification.
Mechotech designed, manufactured, installed, and commissioned a Green Tea Polyphenol Extraction Plant incorporating low-temperature extraction, membrane clarification, vacuum concentration, purification, solvent recovery, drying, and PLC-SCADA automation.
Customer Background
The customer supplies botanical extracts to global manufacturers of dietary supplements, functional beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical formulations. Increasing demand for natural antioxidants and EGCG-rich extracts required a large-scale, automated production facility capable of delivering consistent product quality and international regulatory compliance.
Customer Challenges
Before modernisation, the customer experienced:
- Oxidation of catechins during processing
- Low EGCG recovery
- High solvent consumption
- Long extraction cycles
- Inconsistent polyphenol standardisation
- High steam and energy costs
- Manual production affecting batch consistency
- Difficulty meeting export specifications
- Limited production capacity
Project Objectives
Mechotech was tasked with designing a facility capable of:
- Processing 10 MT/day of Green Tea Leaves
- Producing standardised extracts containing 50–98% Polyphenols
- Maximising EGCG recovery
- Preserving antioxidant activity
- Recovering extraction solvent for reuse
- Reducing production costs
- Achieving GMP compliance
- Supporting future expansion
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Camellia sinensis
- Common Name
- Green Tea
- Plant Part Used
- Tender Green Tea Leaves
- Moisture Content
- 5–8%
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 10,000 kg/day
Finished Product
Available Options
Applications
- Nutraceutical Capsules
- Functional Beverages
- Sports Nutrition
- Cosmetics
- Anti-ageing Formulations
- Pharmaceutical Products
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
Premium green tea leaves are cleaned and gently processed to preserve delicate catechins before entering the extraction process.
Low Temperature Extraction
The prepared tea leaves are extracted using a controlled hydro-alcoholic system operating at optimised temperatures that prevent degradation of heat-sensitive polyphenols.
Advantages include:
- High EGCG retention
- Reduced oxidation
- Improved extraction efficiency
Filtration
The extract passes through multiple clarification stages to remove suspended solids while retaining valuable bioactive compounds.
Membrane Clarification
Advanced membrane technology removes fine impurities without exposing the extract to excessive heat.
Benefits include:
- Improved product clarity
- Better colour stability
- Reduced downstream processing load
- Higher final purity
Vacuum Concentration
The clarified extract is concentrated under reduced pressure using energy-efficient vacuum evaporators.
This stage ensures:
- Protection of active compounds
- Reduced steam consumption
- Higher concentration efficiency
- Better flavour preservation
Purification
Specialised purification systems selectively enrich catechins while reducing caffeine, chlorophyll, and other unwanted components according to customer specifications.
Solvent Recovery
A high-efficiency closed-loop solvent recovery system captures and recycles extraction solvent supporting solvent reuse.
Spray Drying
The concentrated extract is converted into a stable free-flowing powder using advanced spray drying technology.
The finished powder exhibits:
- Uniform particle size
- Low residual moisture
- High antioxidant stability
- Long shelf life
Blending & Standardisation
Final blending ensures customer-specific polyphenol and EGCG concentrations before packaging.
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning System
- Leaf Size Reduction System
- Stainless Steel Extraction Vessels
- Solvent Storage Tanks
- Plate Heat Exchangers
- Pressure Leaf Filters
- Membrane Filtration System
- Vacuum Evaporator
- Purification Columns
- Solvent Recovery Unit
- Condensers
- Spray Dryer
- Ribbon Blender
- Storage Tanks
- CIP System
- PLC-SCADA Automation Panel
- Electrical MCC
- Instrumentation Package
Automation Features
The fully automated plant includes:
- Recipe Management
- Automated Batch Control
- Temperature Monitoring
- Solvent Flow Control
- Vacuum Monitoring
- Membrane Pressure Monitoring
- Alarm Management
- Historical Batch Records
- Production Reporting
- Energy Monitoring
- Remote Diagnostics
GMP & Safety Features
The plant is designed with hygienic, GMP-oriented practice in view; the standards that apply to the client's facility and product are scoped per project. Key features include:
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic sanitary piping
- CIP-compatible equipment
- Closed-loop solvent handling
- Nitrogen blanketing
- Flameproof motors and electrical systems
- Explosion-proof instrumentation in solvent zones
- Pressure safety systems
- Emergency shutdown interlocks
- Validation-ready design
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- Cooling Tower
- Chilled Water System
- Vacuum System
- Air Compressor
- Electrical Power
- Soft Water System
- Nitrogen Supply
Sustainability Features
Mechotech integrates sustainable engineering principles throughout the plant:
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Low-energy vacuum evaporation
- Water reuse systems
- Heat recovery integration
- Reduced emissions
- Low wastewater generation
- Optimised steam utilisation
- Environmentally responsible process design
Customer Benefits
Following commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Higher Polyphenol and EGCG recovery
- Reduced oxidation losses
- Lower solvent consumption
- Reduced steam and utility costs
- Shorter production cycles
- Improved export acceptance
- Enhanced operator safety
- Increased production capacity
- Strong return on investment
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mechotech?
Mechotech is a manufacturer of advanced extraction and processing systems for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, food, botanical, and specialty chemical industries. Our expertise in solvent extraction, membrane filtration, purification, solvent recovery, drying, and intelligent automation enables customers to manufacture premium botanical ingredients.
Conclusion
The Green Tea Polyphenol Extraction Plant developed by Mechotech represents the latest generation of botanical processing technology. Through precision extraction, advanced purification, intelligent automation, and energy-efficient process engineering, the plant consistently delivers high-purity Green Tea Extract with outstanding antioxidant activity, making it the preferred solution for manufacturers supplying global nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, beverage, and functional food markets.
Key Technical Highlights
- Raw Material
- Camellia sinensis (Green Tea Leaves)
- Finished Product
- 50%, 70%, 80%, 98% Polyphenols & High-EGCG Extract
- Solvent Recovery
- Established during process development
- Automation
- PLC-SCADA with recipe-based batch control
- Construction Material
- SS 304 / SS 316L
- Compliance
- Hygienic, GMP-oriented design with documentation to support the client's qualification; applicable standards are scoped per project
- Applications
- Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, Pharmaceuticals, Beverages, Cosmetics
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