Leaves - Woad
Leaves - Woad
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for woad leaves. In the Mechotech catalogue, Leaves - Woad is listed in the Blue to Bluish Purple Colour group alongside Fruit - Dogwood / Mulberries / Elderberries / Blueberries, Flower - Hyacinth / Cornflower, Foliage - Indigo and Inner Bark - Red Maple Tree. No Mechotech article covers woad, and no catalogue source states the botanical species, the colour compound or the feed form, so these are confirmed with the client before the plant is configured. The plant is configured around the raw material and the target colour extract.
Mechotech’s Leaves - Woad plant is configured around the raw material and the target colour extract. It is built in SS 316L with integrated solvent recovery, automation and full documentation, and is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system. Because no Mechotech source describes how the woad pigment is extracted or how stable it is, the line is configured as a general leaf colour extraction train: aqueous or food-grade alcohol / aqueous extraction, filtration, vacuum concentration and standardisation to the target colour specification. The pigment-specific conditions are established during process development and pilot validation rather than assumed.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Leaves - Woad Natural Colour Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Woad leaves (catalogue name: Leaves - Woad) |
| Botanical Name | Not stated in the catalogue or in any Mechotech article; confirmed with the client |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Leaves, per the catalogue name; fresh or dried form and exact feed form confirmed with the client |
| Colour Group | Blue to Bluish Purple Colour (see the Blue to Bluish Purple Colour page) |
| Colour-forming Components | Not stated in any Mechotech source; established during process development |
| Process Category | Natural Colour Extraction Plants |
| Extract Type | Natural colour extract (liquid concentrate or dried powder, per specification) |
| Extraction Method | Closed jacketed SS 316L extraction at controlled temperature over several cycles with water or food-grade alcohol / aqueous solvent; the route and the pigment-specific conditions are confirmed during process development |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filters |
| Concentration System | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with solvent recovery where a solvent is used |
| Drying System | Spray or vacuum dryer, where a powder is required |
| Automation | PLC-based |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air and power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification |
| Final Product Form | Natural colour extract (blue to bluish purple colour group) |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Raw Material Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Scale-up trials, contract manufacturing |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Commercial production |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply, confirmed buyer volume and investment timeline; a pilot plant is recommended to validate parameters before scaling.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Preparation
Woad leaves, fresh or dried as agreed with the client, are authenticated, cleaned, tested for moisture and milled to a uniform particle size to increase the surface area exposed to the solvent; the form and particle size are set during process development.
Extraction
The prepared leaves are extracted in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels at controlled temperature over several cycles with water or food-grade alcohol / aqueous solvent. The pigment-specific conditions, such as temperature, pH and air exposure, are established during process development and pilot validation.
Filtration
The extract is separated from the spent leaves and clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by cartridge polish filters.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The dilute extract is concentrated under vacuum in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system where a solvent is used.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed and adjusted to the declared target colour specification, such as shade and colour strength.
Drying & Quality Control
The standardised extract is supplied as a liquid concentrate or spray- or vacuum-dried to a powder, per specification, then released after assay, residual-solvent (where a solvent is used), heavy-metal, microbial and moisture testing.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material cleaning, authentication and moisture testing
- Size-reduction system
- Closed jacketed SS 316L extraction vessels
- Solvent storage tanks
- Plate-and-frame filter press
- Cartridge polish filtration
- Falling-film / vacuum evaporator
- Solvent recovery unit and condensers
- Standardisation / blending vessel
- Spray or vacuum dryer
- CIP system
- Automation and instrumentation
Plant Output
Applications
- Natural colour and dye ingredient supply
- Food and beverage colour applications (subject to approval of the specific colour in each market)
- Cosmetic and personal-care colour applications
- Nutraceutical and Ayurvedic / herbal formulations
- Pharmaceutical standardised ingredient supply
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Where a solvent route is used, integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches and reduces solvent loss.
Standardised to Specification
In-process and batch-release assay are used to check the finished extract against the agreed target specification, such as shade and colour strength.
Gentle Concentration
Vacuum concentration keeps heat exposure low for temperature-sensitive colour compounds; the pigment-specific limits are established during process development.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Leaves - Woad?
What specification can the Leaves - Woad plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Leaves - Woad plant?
Which industries use the Leaves - Woad plant?
Which raw material is processed in the Leaves - Woad plant?
What colour does woad give, and how is it extracted?
How does the Leaves - Woad extraction process work?
How does this page differ from Foliage - Indigo and the other blue colour pages?
Where does this page sit in the blue to bluish purple colour range?
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