Red Colour
Red Colour
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for the red colour group. In the Mechotech catalogue this group lists Vegetables - Raddish / Red Cabbage / Strawberry / Beetroot; Flowers - Hibiscus; Fruit - Avacado; Roots - Maddar; Berries - Sumac; Wood - Brazil Wood; Plant - St.John's Wort; and Bark - Sycamore. The catalogue treats red colour as a group page rather than a single plant: the member pages describe the individual raw materials. Mechotech’s article on red colour extraction describes three pigment families behind natural reds, anthocyanins, betalains and carotenoids, each needing its own solvent, pH and temperature regime, so the raw material and the route are chosen together.
Mechotech’s red colour plant is configured around the raw material chosen from the group 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. The article stresses that a plant tuned for one red pigment class will not efficiently recover another, so the raw material, solvent, pH and temperature are selected during process development and pilot validation.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Red Colour Natural Colour Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Selected from the group: Vegetables - Raddish / Red Cabbage / Strawberry / Beetroot; Flowers - Hibiscus; Fruit - Avacado; Roots - Maddar; Berries - Sumac; Wood - Brazil Wood; Plant - St.John's Wort; Bark - Sycamore |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Varies by raw material; confirmed with the client for the chosen material |
| Colour Group | Red Colour |
| Extract Type | Natural colour extract (liquid concentrate or dried powder, per specification) |
| Extraction Method | Closed jacketed SS 316L extraction at controlled temperature; the solvent system (acidified water or ethanol, gentle aqueous, or non-polar) depends on the pigment class of the chosen raw material and is 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 (red 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
The raw material chosen from the group is authenticated, cleaned, tested for moisture and size-reduced as its plant part requires (vegetables, flowers, fruit, roots, berries, wood, whole plant or bark); the feed form is confirmed with the client for the chosen material.
Extraction
The prepared material is extracted in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels at controlled temperature over several cycles. The article matches the route to the pigment class: acidified water or ethanol for anthocyanins, gentle low-temperature aqueous extraction for betalains, and non-polar solvent or supercritical carbon dioxide for carotenoids. The route for the chosen member is set during process development.
Filtration
The extract is separated from the spent material and clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by cartridge polish filters.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The extract is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system where a solvent is used. The article describes vacuum concentration at moderate temperature for the heat-sensitive red pigments.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed and adjusted to the declared target colour specification. The article notes that a natural red is sold by colour strength rather than weight, and that blending is routine to reach the exact hue a customer wants.
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 red 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
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Route Matched to Pigment Class
The article describes a different solvent, pH and temperature regime for anthocyanins, betalains and carotenoids, so the line is configured for the pigment of the chosen raw material.
Gentle Concentration
Vacuum concentration at moderate temperature protects heat-sensitive red pigments.
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.
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 Red Colour?
What specification can the Red Colour plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Red Colour plant?
Which industries use the Red Colour plant?
Which raw materials are in the Red Colour group?
What gives natural red its colour?
Why does the solvent depend on the red pigment?
How is a natural red specified?
How is the raw material chosen?
Which related colour pages does Mechotech list?
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