Agarwood / Oud
Agarwood / Oud
Purity Levels
Solvent/CO2-extracted absolute from resin-infused Aquilaria heartwood; sesquiterpenes (e.g. agarospirol, jinkoh-eremol) as documented aromatic constituents — standardised to customer-declared specification (no fixed assay percentage claimed)
Extraction Technologies
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey wood absolute extraction plants for Agarwood / Oud, processing genuine resin-infused Aquilaria heartwood — not ordinary sapwood — into a high-value absolute via solvent or supercritical CO2 extraction. We supply the complete machinery — wood chipping and size reduction, extraction, filtration, gentle concentration with closed-loop solvent recovery, and standardisation — for the fine-fragrance, perfumery, and luxury cosmetic industries. Agarwood is genuinely one of the highest per-kilogram-value woods in the world precisely because usable material is rare, resin-infused heartwood rather than common timber, and sourcing is CITES-regulated for most Aquilaria species. Candidate extraction technologies for agarwood resin oil: Supercritical CO₂ Extraction (SCFE).
Mechotech's Agarwood / Oud plant is engineered around the specific, high-value nature of the feedstock: real agarwood is diseased or wounded Aquilaria heartwood that has been naturally or artificially induced to produce a dense, dark, aromatic resin within the wood matrix — it is not ordinary wood, and non-resinous sapwood has essentially no value for this purpose. Because the resin-infused wood is dense and the aroma compounds it carries are complex and prized, the line uses careful, controlled chipping and size reduction rather than aggressive milling, and extraction — typically CO2 or solvent-based, sometimes finished with a gentle short-path distillation step — runs longer and more gently than a leaf or bark process to protect the full aroma profile rather than strip it quickly. Built in SS 316L with closed jacketed extractors, closed-loop solvent recovery where solvent extraction is used, and PLC-based automation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system with full batch documentation. Given the value and regulatory profile of the raw material, Mechotech recommends every buyer independently confirm current CITES export/import documentation for their specific Aquilaria sourcing and target market before committing to a production run.
Process Flow
Technical Specifications
| Product | Agarwood / Oud Absolute Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Aquilaria species (resin-infused heartwood) |
| Feedstock | Agarwood heartwood |
| Part / Feed Form | Heartwood (resin-infused only) |
| Target Extract | Agarwood resin oil |
| Extract Type | Absolute / resinoid (solvent or supercritical CO2 extraction, optional short-path distillation finish) |
| Documented Aromatic Class | Sesquiterpenes (e.g. agarospirol, jinkoh-eremol) — documented aromatic constituents; no fixed percentage assay claimed |
| Extraction Method | CO2 |
| Technology Count | 1 |
| Extraction Conditions | Solvent extraction or supercritical CO2 extraction in closed jacketed SS 316L / high-pressure vessels |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, CIP-cleanable |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filtration |
| Concentration System | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery, or CO2 recovery/recompression system |
| Automation | PLC-SCADA with recipe management, batch traceability and production reporting |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement — pilot to commercial scale, typically at smaller batch sizes given feedstock rarity and value |
| Utility Requirements | Steam or CO2 supply (per extraction mode), chilled/cooling water, compressed air, power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP-aligned hygienic design; buyer responsible for confirming current CITES export/import documentation |
| Final Product Form | Viscous absolute/resinoid, or essential oil where short-path distillation finish is specified |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Wood Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Process and species-lot validation given feedstock rarity/cost |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Contract processing, boutique fragrance-house supply |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Plantation-grade continuous production for export buyers |
Batch sizes are deliberately smaller than a typical leaf/resin line given agarwood's rarity and per-kilogram value; we strongly recommend a pilot run on your specific Aquilaria lot to validate extraction yield before committing raw material at scale.
Manufacturing Process
Each extraction method follows a different process — pick a method to see its steps.
Raw-Material Conditioning
Agarwood heartwood is chipped and size-reduced so the agarwood resin oil is accessible to supercritical CO₂; moisture and particle size are set during process development.
Extraction Vessel Loading
Conditioned Agarwood heartwood is charged into the high-pressure extraction vessel.
Supercritical CO₂ Extraction
Supercritical CO₂ passes through the charge and dissolves agarwood resin oil; an ethanol modifier can be evaluated where polar fractions are also required, and operating pressure and temperature are set in process development.
Separator Collection
Pressure is reduced in separator stages so the extracted agarwood resin oil drops out of the CO₂ and is collected.
CO₂ Recycle
Gaseous CO₂ is re-liquefied and recirculated to the extractor, limiting make-up gas demand.
Finishing & Packing
The collected agarwood resin oil is polished by filtration as needed and packed to the required specification.
Major Plant Equipment
- Wood authentication and sorting station
- Controlled wood chipping / size-reduction system
- Closed jacketed SS 316L solvent extraction vessels, or supercritical CO2 extraction unit
- Solvent/CO2 storage and transfer system
- Plate-and-frame filter press / pressure leaf filter
- Cartridge polish filters
- Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery, or CO2 recompression system
- Short-path distillation unit (optional finishing step)
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- Storage tanks & finished-product tanks
- PLC-SCADA control panel, electrical MCC & instrumentation
Plant Output
From Plant to Product
Agarwood / Oud Extract
This botanical is also in the product range of Sureka Life Sciences, our sister concern in botanical ingredients.
Applications
- Fine fragrance and luxury perfumery — signature base-note use
- High-value cosmetic and personal-care formulations
- Traditional and religious incense preparations
- Pharmaceutical standardised ingredient supply
- Export to regulated-market fragrance-house and luxury-goods buyers
Key Features
Genuine Resin-Infused Heartwood Handling
Wood authentication and controlled chipping are built around real agarwood's resin-infused heartwood nature, distinct from processing ordinary sapwood or a leaf/seed feedstock.
Solvent or Supercritical CO2 Extraction
Plant configuration supports either closed-loop solvent extraction or supercritical CO2 extraction, selected for the target absolute/oil profile and buyer preference.
Extended, Gentle Extraction Cycle
Extraction runs longer and more gently than a typical leaf or bark process, protecting agarwood's complex, prized aroma profile rather than stripping it quickly.
CITES-Aware Sourcing Support
Mechotech advises buyers to confirm current CITES export/import documentation for their specific Aquilaria sourcing and target market as part of project planning.
Deliberately Smaller Batch Engineering
Batch sizes are scaled to agarwood's rarity and per-kilogram value rather than defaulted to bulk-botanical throughput, protecting yield and raw-material investment.
Optional Short-Path Distillation Finish
A gentle finishing distillation option lets the same line produce either a full absolute or a more volatile oil-type product.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an agarwood / oud absolute extraction plant?
Why is agarwood one of the highest-value woods, and what is 'resin-infused heartwood'?
What are the CITES and sourcing considerations for agarwood?
How does agarwood's process differ from a leaf, seed, or resin extraction line?
Does Mechotech guarantee a specific compound percentage for agarwood absolute?
What batch sizes does Mechotech recommend given agarwood's cost and rarity?
Which industries buy agarwood/oud absolute, and does Mechotech provide turnkey installation?
Which extraction technology is a candidate for Agarwood heartwood?
Is a pilot trial recommended for Agarwood heartwood extraction?
Which feedstock and target extract does the Agarwood / Oud plant cover?
What equipment does the Agarwood / Oud extraction plant include?
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