Herbal Extraction Plants

Rosemary Extraction Plant

Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey plants for rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, syn. Salvia rosmarinus), engineered and built at our Hyderabad, India works. The catalogue lists two different rosemary routes: essential oil by distillation, and a carnosic-acid antioxidant extract by solvent or CO2 extraction, which is a separate product for a separate market. The exact plant type (essential oil distillation, carnosic-acid antioxidant extract or a CO2 route) is confirmed in engineering review of the customer's target product, and this page is a route guide, not a single standard rosemary plant.

Rosemary is processed to two quite different products, so the equipment differs. An oil plant is built around an SS 316L still, a multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation, a Florentine flask, polish filtration and an oil drying unit. An antioxidant-extract plant uses closed jacketed extractors or a supercritical CO2 unit, filtration, a low-temperature vacuum evaporator under nitrogen blanketing with solvent recovery, HPLC standardisation and protected drying. The design is GMP-oriented and hygienic, with documentation to support the customer's own qualification. Final configuration depends on raw material, process requirement, capacity and engineering review, and the plant type is confirmed in that review.

Technical Specifications

Plant Type	Confirmed in engineering review of the customer's target product: essential oil distillation, carnosic-acid antioxidant extract or CO2 route
Raw Material	Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, syn. Salvia rosmarinus); the oil page lists leaves, flowers and buds, the extract page lists dried leaf; fresh or dried form confirmed with the client
Essential Oil Route	Steam, hydro, vacuum or pressure distillation; marker compound 1,8-cineole
Oil Catalogue Figure	The Sureka Life Sciences catalogue offers rosemary oil at 15-53% 1,8-cineole, a wide range and not a delivered specification
Antioxidant Extract Route	Solvent (ethanol / hexane-class) or supercritical CO2 extraction; the product page lists 6% to 15% Carnosic Acid by HPLC as a configurable range
Candidate Technologies (Extract)	Counter-current, supercritical CO2, ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction (4 screened on the product page)
Oxidation Control (Extract)	Moderated temperature, nitrogen-blanketed low-temperature vacuum concentration and oxidation-protected drying
Oil Train	SS 316L still, multi-tube condenser, stainless-steel Florentine flask, polish filtration, drying over anhydrous sodium sulphate or by vacuum
Extract Train	Plate-and-frame filter press, falling-film / vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery, vacuum tray dryer or spray dryer
Product-contact Material	SS 316L, CIP-cleanable
Plant Capacity	Configured to requirement

Manufacturing Process

Engineering Review & Route Confirmation

Your target product (oil, antioxidant extract or CO2 extract), rosemary form and specification are reviewed first, because the plant type is confirmed there rather than assumed.

Raw Material Preparation

Rosemary herb is cleaned and sorted, and size-reduced where required, so the charge packs evenly or exposes the leaf's diterpene-bearing tissue. Fresh or dried form and particle size are set during process development.

Oil Route: Charging & Distillation

The 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.

Oil Route: Condensation, Separation & Polishing

Vapours are condensed in a multi-tube condenser; the oil is collected in a Florentine flask and the hydrosol can be recovered as a co-product. The crude oil is polish-filtered and dried.

Oil Route: Quality Control

Each batch is sampled for GC-MS profile and physical parameters (specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation) against the client's specification.

Extract Route: Solvent or CO2 Extraction

Milled leaf is extracted in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors, or in a pressure-rated vessel for CO2, at moderated temperature, since carnosic acid oxidises to carnosol on exposure to heat and air.

Extract Route: Filtration & Nitrogen-Blanketed Concentration

The extract is clarified through a filter press and cartridge polish filters, then concentrated in a low-temperature vacuum evaporator under nitrogen blanketing, with solvent recovered in a closed loop.

Extract Route: HPLC Standardisation & Protected Drying

The concentrate is assayed by HPLC for carnosic acid, adjusted to the declared specification and dried under oxidation-protected handling before release testing.

Major Plant Equipment

Herb cleaning and size-reduction system
Perforated basket or false-bottom charge support (oil route)
SS 316L distillation still (oil route)
Multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation
Stainless-steel Florentine flask (oil-water separator)
Polish filtration and oil drying unit
Stainless-steel jacketed solvent extraction vessels or supercritical CO2 extraction unit (extract route)
Plate-and-frame filter press and cartridge polish filters
Nitrogen blanketing system
Falling-film / low-temperature vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery
Vacuum tray dryer / spray dryer
CIP (clean-in-place) system
PLC-based automation and instrumentation

Plant Output

Rosemary essential oilAromatic rosemary hydrosol (co-product of distillation)Rosemary antioxidant extract, as standardised powder or oil-dispersible concentrate (carnosic acid range listed on the product page)

Applications

Hair and scalp-care products (essential oil)
Skin-care products and aromatherapy applications (essential oil)
Muscle and pain-relief products (essential oil)
Hair and skin-hydration products from the hydrosol
Natural food-preservative applications (antioxidant extract)
Cosmetic and personal-care antioxidant actives (antioxidant extract)
Nutraceutical and functional food and beverage formulations (antioxidant extract)

Key Features

Two Routes Kept Distinct
Rosemary essential oil targets the volatile terpene fraction by distillation. The antioxidant extract targets the polar diterpene-acid fraction by solvent or CO2 extraction. They are different products and different plants.
Plant Type Confirmed in Engineering Review
We do not assume a standard rosemary plant. The route is confirmed against your target product, raw material and specification before configuration.
Oxidation-Controlled Extract Processing
On the antioxidant route, extraction, concentration and drying run at moderated temperature with nitrogen blanketing to protect carnosic acid.
Hydrosol Recovery on the Oil Route
Integrated oil-water separation lets the aromatic hydrosol be drawn off and recovered as a co-product.
SS 316L and CIP
SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP capability between batches, designed for hygienic operation with documentation to support the customer's qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which rosemary plant do I need?

That depends on the product, and it is confirmed in engineering review rather than fixed on this page. For rosemary essential oil, the catalogue entry is a rosemary distillation plant. For a carnosic-acid antioxidant extract, it is the Rosmarinus officinalis extract plant. A CO2 route is also screened for the extract. Tell us your target product and we will confirm the plant type with you.

How are rosemary oil and rosemary antioxidant extract different?

Rosemary oil is the volatile fraction, recovered by distillation, and its marker compound is 1,8-cineole. The antioxidant extract targets carnosic acid and carnosol from the leaf by solvent or CO2 extraction, and is mainly used as a natural preservative in food and cosmetic formulations. They use different equipment, different quality checks (GC-MS versus HPLC) and serve different markets, so they are not interchangeable.

Why is the plant type for rosemary not listed as a fixed configuration?

Because rosemary can go to two quite different products and the right plant depends on which you want, the form of your raw material and your specification. The catalogue pages describe each route, but the exact plant type is confirmed in engineering review of the customer's target product. Capacity is configured to requirement, and final configuration depends on raw material, process requirement, capacity and that review.

What rosemary raw-material details do you need?

We need to know whether you plan to process leaves, flowering tops or both, whether the herb is fresh or dried, its moisture, expected volume and the product you want. The oil page lists leaves, flowers and buds with the exact form confirmed with the client, while the extract page is built around dried leaf. These details decide the route and the preparation stage before any plant is configured.

Can carnosic acid be extracted with CO2 instead of solvent?

Yes, as a candidate route. The extract page screens counter-current, supercritical CO2, ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction, with solvent or supercritical CO2 extraction in closed vessels. Supercritical CO2 plants are described on our CO2 extraction plant page. Which method suits your product is established during process development and pilot validation, not assumed in advance.

Can I trial my rosemary before deciding on a plant?

Raw-material feasibility and pilot trials can be discussed through the Botanical Process Development Centre, run with our sister concern Sureka Life Sciences. For rosemary this is especially useful, because a trial helps decide between oil and extract routes and shows how the herb behaves. Pilot findings inform design and are not a guarantee of any specification. See the Process Development Centre.

What is the turnkey scope for a rosemary plant?

Once the plant type is confirmed, the proposal sets out engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning, with the plant engineered and built at our Hyderabad, India works in SS 316L. Utilities are project-specific. Compliance of your facility and product remains your responsibility. It sits within our herbal extraction plant range, alongside leaf oil distillation plants.

What should I send to request a rosemary plant quote?

Send the product you want to make (essential oil, antioxidant extract or both), the herb form and moisture, expected volume, the marker or assay you need (1,8-cineole or carnosic acid), preferred solvent or CO2 approach, automation level and site utilities. Engineering review then confirms the plant type. You can request a quote with these details.

Project Enquiry Pages

Country pages that include this equipment among their project areas:

Morocco: Rosemary & aromatic herb extraction

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Rosemary Extraction Plant