Lemon Balm / Melissa
Lemon Balm / Melissa
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey leaves oils distillation plants for Lemon Balm / Melissa. The catalogue lists the plant feed as leaves, flowers and buds, and Mechotech’s legacy page text describes steam distillation. The plant recovers essential oil by distillation for the catalogue’s fragrance, aromatherapy, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries. The Sureka Life Sciences (SLS) catalogue lists Lemon Balm Leaves Distillation with Melissa officinalis as the botanical source and citral as the marker compound. The exact feed form is confirmed with the client before the plant is configured.
Mechotech’s Lemon Balm / Melissa plant is configured around the raw material and the target oil. It is built in SS 316L with integrated condensers and oil–water separation, PLC-based automation and full documentation, and is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system. Because the catalogue lists leaves, flowers and buds, the charge may combine plant parts; the proportions and the distillation mode are established during process development and pilot validation.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Lemon Balm / Melissa Essential Oil Distillation Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Lemon balm (melissa) leaves, flowers and buds |
| Botanical Name | Melissa officinalis (per the Sureka Life Sciences catalogue entry for Lemon Balm Leaves Distillation) |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Leaves, flowers and buds as listed in the product tree and the legacy page (exact feed form and plant-part proportions confirmed with the client) |
| Marker Compound | Citral (per the Sureka Life Sciences catalogue entry) |
| Product Category | Leaves Oils Distillation Plants |
| Extraction Method | Steam, hydro, vacuum or pressure distillation — selected for the volatility and heat-sensitivity of the target oil |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L |
| Condensation | Multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation |
| Oil–Water Separation | Stainless-steel Florentine flask |
| Finishing | Polish filtration; drying over anhydrous sodium sulphate or by vacuum |
| 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 | Lemon balm (melissa) essential oil; aromatic hydrosol as co-product |
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
Lemon balm leaves, flowers and buds are sorted and cleaned of foreign matter and, where required, dried or size-adjusted so that the charge packs evenly in the still.
Charging & Distillation
The prepared Lemon Balm / Melissa charge is loaded into the SS 316L still and distilled by steam, hydro, vacuum or pressure distillation, selected during process development for the volatility and heat-sensitivity of the target oil.
Condensation
Vapours pass through a multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation, condensing the oil and hydrosol.
Oil–Water Separation
Condensate is separated in a stainless-steel Florentine flask; the oil is collected and the hydrosol is drawn off and can be recovered as a co-product.
Polishing & Drying
The crude oil is polish-filtered and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate or by vacuum to remove residual moisture.
Quality Control
Each batch is sampled for GC-MS profile and physical parameters — specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation — against the client’s specification.
Major Plant Equipment
- Leaf, flower and bud cleaning, sorting and drying system
- Perforated basket or false-bottom charge support
- SS 316L distillation still / extractor
- Multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation
- Stainless-steel Florentine flask (oil–water separator)
- Polish filtration system
- Drying unit (anhydrous sodium sulphate or vacuum)
- CIP system
- PLC-based automation and instrumentation
Plant Output
Applications
- Aromatherapy applications
- Diluted topical preparations
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Product-contact surfaces are SS 316L for corrosion resistance and product purity, with CIP capability between batches.
Efficient Condensation
Multi-tube condensers with chilled-water circulation condense the volatile oil and hydrosol and limit loss of volatile top-notes.
Configurable Distillation Mode
The still is configured for steam, hydro, vacuum or pressure distillation, selected during process development for the volatility and heat-sensitivity of the target oil.
Hydrosol Recovery
Integrated oil–water separation allows the aromatic hydrosol to be drawn off and recovered as a co-product.
Scalable Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Lemon Balm / Melissa?
What specification can the Lemon Balm / Melissa plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Lemon Balm / Melissa plant?
Which end uses are listed for the Lemon Balm / Melissa plant?
Which part of Lemon Balm / Melissa is processed in the distillation plant?
How is Lemon Balm / Melissa oil produced in the plant?
What is the botanical source and marker compound of Lemon Balm / Melissa on this page?
How does Lemon Balm differ from the Lemon Verbena and Lemon Grass pages, which also list citral?
Which neighbouring plants does the product tree list with Lemon Balm / Melissa?
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