Spices Oleoresin Extraction Plants

Curcumin Extraction Plant

Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey curcumin extraction plants that process turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome into a standardised curcuminoid powder, with a configurable grade range listed on the product page. Around that core solvent-and-crystallisation line the catalogue lists neighbouring turmeric routes: nano curcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, and turmeric oil by distillation or by CO2 extraction. This page is for ingredient manufacturers deciding which turmeric route fits the product they want to make.

The curcumin line is a closed-loop plant: raw material cleaning and hammer mill, jacketed SS 316L extraction tanks, plate-and-frame filter press and centrifugal separator with cartridge polish filters, a falling-film / vacuum concentrator, solvent recovery, purification, crystallisers and industrial centrifuges, a spray or vacuum dryer, pulveriser and blending, CIP and PLC-SCADA automation. Curcumin is heat-, light- and oxidation-sensitive, so solvent choice (ethanol, acetone or hydro-alcoholic blends) and closed-loop handling are set around the target grade. The plant uses GMP-oriented hygienic design with documentation to support the customer's own qualification. Final configuration depends on raw material, process requirement, capacity and engineering review.

Technical Specifications

Plant Type	Curcumin (curcuminoid) extraction plant, solvent extraction with crystallisation
Botanical / Feedstock	Curcuma longa (turmeric) rhizome
Target Extract	Curcuminoids and turmerones
Standardisation	Configurable range listed on the product page: up to 95% Curcuminoids by HPLC; custom specifications available
Extraction Conditions	Closed-loop solvent extraction (ethanol, acetone or hydro-alcoholic blends) in jacketed SS 316L tanks
Candidate Technologies	Counter-current, supercritical CO2, subcritical water, ultrasound-assisted, enzyme-assisted, hybrid and microwave-assisted (7 screened on the product page)
Filtration & Concentration	Plate-and-frame filter press, centrifugal separator and cartridge polish filters; falling-film / vacuum concentrator with solvent recovery
Isolation	Purification, then crystallisation and industrial centrifuges
Drying	Spray dryer or vacuum dryer
Product-contact Material	SS 316L, CIP-cleanable, electropolished
Automation	Configurable: manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic PLC-SCADA
Plant Capacity	Configured to requirement; the reference project in the case study processes 10 MT/day of turmeric rhizomes

Manufacturing Process

Raw Material Preparation

Turmeric rhizome is authenticated with an incoming curcuminoid assay, cleaned and milled to a uniform particle size to maximise surface area for solvent contact.

Solvent Extraction

Milled turmeric is extracted in closed, jacketed SS 316L tanks under controlled temperature and agitation. Solvent (ethanol, acetone or hydro-alcoholic blends) is selected to match the target grade, because food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade extraction carry different solvent and residue requirements.

Filtration & Clarification

The extract (miscella) is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press and centrifugal separator, then cartridge polish filters, to remove fines and fibrous matter.

Concentration & Solvent Recovery

The miscella is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum concentrator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system.

Purification

The concentrate is purified to reduce colour bodies, resinous impurities and unwanted plant constituents ahead of crystallisation.

Crystallisation & Centrifugation

The purified concentrate goes to dedicated crystallisers with controlled temperature, cooling rate and residence time. Industrial centrifuges separate the crystals from the mother liquor, which is recycled to the solvent-recovery circuit.

Standardisation & Quality Control

Isolated crystals are assayed by HPLC and adjusted to the declared curcuminoid specification before drying, with release after assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial and moisture testing.

Drying

The standardised curcumin extract is spray- or vacuum-dried to a free-flowing powder ready for encapsulation, blending or bulk packing.

Major Plant Equipment

Raw material cleaning system and hammer mill
Stainless-steel jacketed extraction vessels
Solvent storage tanks and extraction pumps
Pressure leaf filters and plate-and-frame filter press
Centrifugal separator
Vacuum evaporator / falling-film concentrator
Multi-stage condensers
Crystallisers
Industrial centrifuges
Spray dryer / vacuum tray dryer
Pulveriser and blending system
Solvent recovery unit
CIP (clean-in-place) system
PLC-SCADA automation, electrical MCC and instrumentation

Plant Output

Standardised curcumin extract powder (configurable range listed on the product page, up to 95% Curcuminoids by HPLC)Nano curcumin powder, 20-100 nm particle size, via a second nanoformulation stage (separate plant page)Tetrahydrocurcumin powder via a catalytic hydrogenation stage (separate plant page)Turmeric essential oil by steam distillation, with hydrosol as co-product (separate plant page)Turmeric oil as a CO2 extract (separate plant page)

Case Study

Curcumin Extraction Plant

See how this plant was engineered and delivered for a real project.

Applications

Pharmaceutical standardised ingredient supply
Nutraceutical capsule, tablet and supplement manufacturing
Natural food colour and flavour applications
Cosmetic and personal care active ingredients
Ayurvedic and traditional medicine preparations
High-bioavailability nano curcumin and colourless tetrahydrocurcumin ingredients (separate plant pages)

Key Features

Clear Turmeric Route Map
Curcuminoids by solvent extraction and crystallisation, nano curcumin by a second particle-size stage, tetrahydrocurcumin by catalytic hydrogenation, and turmeric oil by distillation or CO2 each have their own catalogue page.
Crystallisation Stage
Dedicated crystallisers and centrifuges isolate curcumin crystals from the mother liquor, which is recycled into the solvent-recovery circuit.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Integrated recovery returns solvent for reuse within the process; recovery performance is established during process development.
Assay-Led Standardisation
In-process and batch-release HPLC assay are used to check the extract against the declared curcuminoid specification.
Alternative Extraction Methods on Request
Supercritical CO2, ultrasound-assisted or microwave-assisted extraction can be scoped during process design where a project calls for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which turmeric route should I choose: curcuminoids, nano curcumin, THC or oil?

Choose by the molecule you want to sell. Curcuminoid powder comes from the curcumin extraction line described here. Turmeric essential oil, rich in turmerones, is a different route by steam or hydro distillation on the turmeric oil distillation page, and a CO2-extracted turmeric oil has its own catalogue page. Nano curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin both start from a standardised curcuminoid extract and add a further stage. Engineering review confirms the route against your target product.

How do nano curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin differ from standard curcumin?

Both are second-stage products. Nano curcumin takes a standardised curcuminoid extract through particle-size reduction to the 20-100 nm range, verified by dynamic light scattering rather than an HPLC percentage. Tetrahydrocurcumin is a chemically distinct, colourless molecule made by catalytic hydrogenation of that extract, with catalyst removal and purification added. Each adds equipment beyond the standard curcumin line.

What turmeric raw-material information do you need?

We need the rhizome form (the reference project uses dried rhizomes), moisture, incoming curcuminoid assay if known, the target curcuminoid grade and whether the end use is food or pharmaceutical, since each carries different solvent and residue requirements. Solvent preference (ethanol, acetone or hydro-alcoholic blends) is agreed during process development. Raw-material feasibility trials can be arranged through the Process Development Centre.

Can the extraction use CO2, ultrasound or microwave instead of solvent extraction?

The curcumin product page screens seven candidate technologies: counter-current, supercritical CO2, subcritical water, ultrasound-assisted, enzyme-assisted, hybrid and microwave-assisted extraction. The standard route is closed-loop solvent extraction followed by crystallisation. Where a project calls for CO2, ultrasound or microwave methods, they can be scoped during process design, and the final technology is fixed only after process development and pilot validation.

What does the curcumin reference case study show?

The Curcumin Extraction Plant case study describes a turnkey turmeric extraction plant designed, manufactured, supplied, installed and commissioned by Mechotech for a botanical ingredients manufacturer, processing 10 tonnes of turmeric rhizomes per day. It is a reference project, not a catalogue size. Your plant capacity is configured to your raw-material supply, confirmed buyer volume and engineering review.

Is the curcumin dried by spray dryer?

The standardised extract is spray- or vacuum-dried to a free-flowing powder ready for encapsulation, blending or bulk packing, with the dryer matched to the product. Nano curcumin is the exception: its dryer is chosen, either spray dryer or lyophiliser, to preserve the nano particle size. Concentration ahead of drying is done in a falling-film / vacuum concentrator, and the spray dryer page covers the dryer in detail.

What does turnkey scope include, and who is responsible for compliance?

The proposal sets out engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning, with the plant built at our Hyderabad, India works in SS 316L. The design is GMP-oriented and hygienic, with documentation to support your own qualification. Compliance of your facility, process and finished product remains your responsibility, and applicable requirements are scoped with you per project. The plant belongs to our spices oleoresin extraction plant range.

What should I send to request a curcumin plant quote?

Send the turmeric form and moisture, available volume, the target product (curcuminoid powder, nano curcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin or oil), the curcuminoid grade and assay method you need, solvent preferences, level of automation and site utilities. Capacity is not taken from a fixed catalogue figure. It depends on raw material, process requirement and engineering review. You can request a quote with these details.

Project Enquiry Pages

Country pages that include this equipment among their project areas:

Thailand: Herbal & curcumin extraction

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Curcumin Extraction Plant