Extraction Equipment

Counter-Current Extraction with Controlled Inline Ultrasonic Assistance (CC-UAE)

Counter-Current Extraction with Ultrasound Assistance (CC-UAE) combines Mechotech's multi-stage, opposing-flow Counter-Current Extraction with controlled inline ultrasonic treatment applied at one or more stages of the extraction train. The counter-current stage arrangement maintains its established concentration-gradient advantage, while inline ultrasonic cavitation at the targeted stage or stages further disrupts the solid matrix and intensifies solvent penetration, aimed at feedstocks that respond well to combined staged and cavitation-driven mass transfer. Mechotech engineers turnkey CC-UAE systems configured to each feedstock, solvent, stage count and ultrasonic treatment point.

A CC-UAE system is built around the same staged, opposing-flow extraction train as Mechotech's Counter-Current Extraction equipment, with one or more inline ultrasonic reactor sections introduced into the solvent or miscella circuit at a defined stage of the train. As feed and solvent advance through the counter-current stages, the slurry or miscella at the selected treatment point is circulated through the inline ultrasonic section, where controlled acoustic cavitation further disrupts the loosened solid matrix and intensifies mass transfer at that stage, before the material continues through the remaining counter-current stages as normal. The number and position of ultrasonic treatment points, and the ultrasonic operating parameters, are configured per feedstock and validated on a pilot system, since the benefit of adding ultrasonic assistance at a given stage depends on the specific material and target compound. Mechotech fabricates the extraction stages, solids-conveying mechanism, solvent distribution manifold, inline ultrasonic reactor section(s) and miscella collection train in SS 304 with product-contact SS 316L to hygienic, GMP-oriented standards, with PLC/SCADA control of feed rate, solvent flow, stage residence time and ultrasonic amplitude at each treatment point.

Process Flow

Technical Specifications

Technology	Hybrid Counter-Current Extraction (CCE) + inline Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE), applied at configured stage(s)
Working Principle	Multi-stage, opposing-flow counter-current extraction with controlled inline ultrasonic cavitation introduced at one or more configured treatment stages
Ultrasonic Treatment Configuration	Position and number of inline ultrasonic treatment stages configured per feedstock; not applied uniformly across every stage by default
Stage Configuration	Multiple sequential extraction stages, number and residence time configured to feedstock and target yield
Solids Conveying	Screen, basket or auger conveying mechanism (configurable to feedstock)
Solvent	Water, ethanol, hexane, hydro-alcoholic or other process-grade solvents (as applicable to the target compound)
Product-contact Material	SS 304 / SS 316L, electropolished
Miscella Handling	In-line filtration and clarification ahead of downstream concentration
Solvent Recovery	Integrated recirculation of recovered solvent to the counter-current stage train
Automation	PLC/SCADA (configurable) with independent control of feed rate, solvent flow, stage residence time and ultrasonic amplitude
Capacity	Configured to process requirement — pilot to commercial, pilot validation recommended before scale-up
Utilities	Electric power (including ultrasonic generators), solvent-handling and recovery utilities, compressed air
Compliance	GMP / WHO-GMP hygienic design
Final Output	Concentrated miscella; spent solids discharged per the configured stage cycle

Manufacturing Process

Feed preparation & intake

Prepared feed material is metered into the first extraction stage at a controlled rate, as in standard counter-current operation.

Staged solids conveying

A conveying mechanism advances the solids through successive extraction stages at a controlled residence time per stage.

Counter-current solvent introduction

Solvent is introduced at the discharge end of the stage train and flows opposite to the solids' direction of travel, establishing the same opposing-flow concentration gradient as standard counter-current extraction.

Stage-wise contact & mass transfer

At each stage, solvent contacts the solid bed and target compounds begin dissolving into the solvent as the material advances.

Inline ultrasonic treatment (targeted stage)

At the configured treatment stage or stages, slurry or miscella is circulated through an inline ultrasonic reactor section, where controlled acoustic cavitation further disrupts the solid matrix and intensifies solvent penetration at that point in the train.

Continued counter-current contact

Following ultrasonic treatment, the material continues through the remaining counter-current stages, maintaining the opposing-flow concentration gradient for the rest of the train.

Miscella drawoff

Concentrated miscella is drawn off at the feed-entry end, where it has contacted the freshest material and, where applicable, benefited from the upstream ultrasonic treatment stage.

Spent-solids discharge

Extracted, solvent-wet solids are discharged from the far end of the stage train for downstream desolventising or disposal.

Miscella filtration & clarification

Drawn-off miscella passes through filtration to remove fines before being routed to downstream concentration and solvent-recovery stages.

Solvent recovery & recirculation

Recovered solvent from downstream evaporation is returned to the extraction train's solvent-in stage, sustaining the counter-current loop.

Major Plant Equipment

Feed intake and metering system
Multi-stage extraction body
Solids-conveying mechanism (screen, basket or auger, configurable)
Counter-current solvent distribution manifold
Inline ultrasonic reactor section(s) at configured treatment stage(s)
Miscella drawoff and collection manifold
In-line miscella filtration
Spent-solids discharge system
Solvent recovery and recirculation interface
PLC/SCADA automation with independent stage and ultrasonic control

Plant Output

Concentrated miscella (extract-in-solvent)Spent solids / de-oiled marc, discharged per the configured stage cycle

Turnkey Line

Counter-Current Extraction (CCE)

See the complete end-to-end plant and the equipment at each stage.

Applications

Multi-stage botanical extraction where a specific stage benefits from additional cavitation-driven disruption
Fibrous or structurally resistant feedstocks evaluated for combined staged and ultrasonic intensification
Oleoresin and spice-extract production where localized ultrasonic treatment may improve stage efficiency
Nutraceutical actives extraction requiring both solvent-efficient staging and targeted mass-transfer intensification
Scale-up projects validating whether inline ultrasonic assistance improves a specific counter-current process
Applications evaluated case-by-case; benefit of ultrasonic assistance depends on the specific feedstock and target compound

Key Features

Counter-current staging with targeted ultrasonic intensification
Retains the established opposing-flow concentration-gradient advantage of counter-current extraction, with inline ultrasonic treatment added only at the stage or stages where it is configured to help.
Configurable ultrasonic treatment point(s)
The number and position of inline ultrasonic reactor sections within the counter-current train are configured per feedstock, rather than applying ultrasonic treatment uniformly across every stage by default.
Independent stage and ultrasonic control
Feed rate, solvent flow and stage residence time are controlled independently of ultrasonic amplitude at each treatment point, allowing the two intensification mechanisms to be tuned separately.
Solvent-efficient counter-current base
The underlying multi-stage, opposing-flow arrangement retains the same solvent-efficiency characteristics as Mechotech's standard Counter-Current Extraction equipment.
Hygienic, GMP-oriented build
Product-contact parts in SS 316L with smooth, CIP-friendly finishes support pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food-grade production.
Full automation & recipe management
PLC/SCADA control coordinates feed rate, solvent flow, stage residence time and ultrasonic amplitude at each configured treatment point, with run logging for repeatable, traceable operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Counter-Current Extraction with Ultrasound Assistance (CC-UAE)?

CC-UAE combines Mechotech's multi-stage, opposing-flow Counter-Current Extraction with controlled inline ultrasonic treatment applied at one or more configured stages of the extraction train. The counter-current staging retains its established concentration-gradient advantage, while inline ultrasonic cavitation at the targeted stage further disrupts the material and intensifies solvent penetration at that point.

How does the ultrasonic treatment integrate with counter-current staging?

Rather than treating every stage with ultrasound, slurry or miscella at a configured treatment stage is circulated through an inline ultrasonic reactor section, where controlled acoustic cavitation intensifies mass transfer at that point in the train. The material then continues through the remaining counter-current stages as normal. The number and position of ultrasonic treatment points are configured per feedstock and validated on a pilot system.

Why apply ultrasonic assistance only at configured stages rather than throughout the train?

Whether ultrasonic assistance improves extraction at a given stage depends on the specific feedstock and target compound, so Mechotech configures the treatment point(s) per application rather than applying ultrasonic treatment uniformly by default. This also allows feed rate, solvent flow and ultrasonic amplitude to be tuned independently for each part of the process.

How does CC-UAE differ from Mechotech's SonoZyme Hybrid Extraction System?

MOT SonoZyme™ combines enzymatic hydrolysis with inline ultrasound in a single-vessel, sequential enzyme-then-ultrasound process. CC-UAE instead applies inline ultrasonic treatment within a multi-stage counter-current extraction train, without an enzymatic step — the two systems address different process architectures and are configured independently.

What feedstocks and solvents suit CC-UAE?

It is evaluated for fibrous or structurally resistant feedstocks that may benefit from combined staged extraction and targeted cavitation-driven disruption, including botanical actives and oleoresin or spice-extract production, using solvents ranging from water and ethanol to hexane and hydro-alcoholic blends depending on the target compound. Whether the ultrasonic addition is beneficial for a given material is confirmed through pilot trials.

What capacity and configuration can Mechotech supply?

Stage count, ultrasonic treatment-point placement, conveying mechanism and solvent-handling capacity are configured to the feedstock, particle size and target throughput, from pilot-scale systems for process validation to commercial-scale trains. We recommend validating both the counter-current stage design and the ultrasonic treatment configuration on a pilot system before scaling to full commercial operation.

What material of construction and compliance does Mechotech use?

Product-contact parts are built in SS 316L with SS 304 for structural and non-contact areas, finished to smooth, CIP-friendly, hygienic standards. Systems follow GMP and WHO-GMP hygienic design principles, with documentation to support qualification.

Does Mechotech provide turnkey design, manufacture, installation and commissioning?

Yes. Mechotech designs, engineers and fabricates the complete CC-UAE system, including the multi-stage extraction body, solids-conveying mechanism, inline ultrasonic reactor section(s), solvent distribution and recovery loop, and PLC/SCADA automation, and installs and commissions it as a single performance-verified turnkey plant. We support the project through pilot validation, scale-up, operator training and process validation.

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Counter-Current Extraction with Controlled Inline Ultrasonic Assistance (CC-UAE)