Herbal Extraction Plants

Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC)

Purity Levels

THC 99%

Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is not curcumin at a different purity grade — it is a chemically distinct molecule, produced by catalytic hydrogenation of standardised curcuminoid extract. Hydrogenation saturates the double bonds in the curcumin structure that create its intense yellow colour, yielding a colourless-to-pale, non-staining compound that retains strong antioxidant activity. This makes THC valuable precisely where standard curcumin's staining and colour instability are a problem — cosmeceutical, skincare and light-sensitive formulations. Mechotech's plant is built as conventional curcumin extraction feeding directly into a dedicated catalytic hydrogenation and purification stage, standardised and released against a THC 99% HPLC specification.

Mechotech's Tetrahydrocurcumin plant is engineered as two integrated but genuinely distinct process stages. Stage one is conventional turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome extraction and standardisation to a high-purity curcuminoid feedstock, using the same closed-loop SS 316L extraction and solvent-recovery principles as our Curcumin extraction plant — this stage is shared conceptually with our Nano Curcumin plant, which instead sends this feedstock to a particle-size-reduction stage rather than a chemical reaction. Stage two, unique to THC, is a controlled catalytic hydrogenation reaction that saturates curcumin's conjugated double bonds, converting the coloured curcuminoids into their colourless tetrahydro form while preserving the diarylheptanoid antioxidant backbone. Because hydrogenation introduces a metal catalyst into the process, the line includes dedicated catalyst-removal and purification stages (filtration, crystallisation or chromatographic polishing) ahead of drying, so the finished THC can be reliably released against a 99% HPLC purity specification with catalyst residue controlled to finished-product heavy-metal limits. Reaction temperature, pressure and hydrogen dosing are closely controlled through the hydrogenation stage, since under- or over-hydrogenation both reduce finished-product purity and antioxidant performance — this is the main process-control challenge that distinguishes THC manufacturing from standard curcumin extraction. All product-contact surfaces are SS 316L, built to GMP hygienic design, and the system is delivered commissioned.

Technical Specifications

Product	Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) Extraction & Hydrogenation Plant
Botanical Source	Curcuma longa (turmeric rhizome), via standardised curcuminoid feedstock
Molecule Type	Hydrogenated (saturated) derivative of curcumin — chemically distinct from curcumin, not a purity variant
Declared Specification	THC 99% by HPLC
Key Process Addition	Controlled catalytic hydrogenation stage, absent from standard curcumin extraction
Hydrogenation Method	Catalytic hydrogenation of standardised curcuminoid extract under controlled temperature and pressure
Catalyst Control	Dedicated filtration and purification stage for catalyst-residue removal ahead of drying
Purification Method	Crystallisation or chromatographic polishing to THC 99%
Product-contact Material	SS 316L, electropolished, CIP-cleanable
Filtration System	Catalyst filtration, plate-and-frame filter press, cartridge polish filters
Drying System	Spray dryer or vacuum tray dryer
Automation	PLC-SCADA with recipe management, batch traceability and production reporting
Plant Capacity	Configured to requirement, pilot to commercial scale
Utility Requirements	Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, hydrogen supply/generation, power (project-specific)
Compliance	GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification
Final Product Form	Free-flowing white-to-off-white THC powder

Plant Capacities

Plant Scale	Batch Throughput	Typical Use
Pilot	Configured to your feedstock and trial plan	Hydrogenation process validation, product development
Semi-Commercial	Configured between pilot and commercial scale	Contract manufacturing, scale-up trials
Commercial	Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume	Export-grade continuous THC production

Capacity is configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume; we recommend a pilot plant to validate hydrogenation conversion and catalyst-removal parameters before scaling.

Manufacturing Process

Curcumin Extraction & Standardisation

Turmeric rhizome is extracted and standardised to high-purity curcuminoid extract using closed-loop SS 316L extraction with solvent recovery — the feedstock for hydrogenation, not the finished THC product.

Catalytic Hydrogenation

Standardised curcuminoid extract undergoes controlled catalytic hydrogenation under regulated temperature and pressure, saturating the double bonds that give curcumin its yellow colour while preserving the diarylheptanoid antioxidant backbone — this is the process step genuinely distinct to THC, absent from standard curcumin or Nano Curcumin manufacturing.

Catalyst Removal & Purification

The hydrogenated product is filtered to remove catalyst residue, then purified through crystallisation or chromatographic polishing to reach THC 99% purity.

Standardisation & Assay

The purified tetrahydrocurcumin is assayed by HPLC and adjusted to the declared THC 99% specification.

Drying & Quality Control

The standardised THC is dried to a free-flowing white-to-off-white powder, then released after assay, residual-solvent, catalyst-residue, heavy-metal, microbial, and moisture testing with full certificate of analysis.

Major Plant Equipment

Curcumin extraction & standardisation train (extraction vessels, filtration, vacuum concentrator)
Catalytic hydrogenation reactor (controlled temperature & pressure)
Catalyst filtration system
Crystallisation unit
Chromatographic polishing system (as required)
Plate-and-frame filter press / cartridge polish filters
Spray dryer / vacuum tray dryer
Storage tanks & finished-product handling
CIP (clean-in-place) system
PLC-SCADA control panel, electrical MCC & instrumentation

Plant Output

Tetrahydrocurcumin Powder — THC 99% by HPLCCustom-grade THC (on request)

Applications

Cosmeceutical and skincare antioxidant actives
Colourless nutraceutical and supplement formulations
Light-sensitive or clear-format product applications
Pharmaceutical antioxidant ingredient supply
Anti-inflammatory and dermatological formulations
Export to regulated-market cosmetic and pharma buyers

Key Features

Colourless, Non-Staining Output
Catalytic hydrogenation removes the yellow pigment of standard curcumin while retaining antioxidant activity, suiting formulations where staining is unacceptable — a genuinely different molecule from curcumin, not a purity variant.
Two-Stage Process: Extraction Then Hydrogenation
A conventional curcumin extraction and standardisation stage feeds a dedicated catalytic hydrogenation reaction, engineered as a distinct process addition rather than a variation on standard extraction.
GMP Hygienic SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces use GMP hygienic design, with CIP operation between batches.
Integrated Catalyst Removal
Dedicated filtration and purification stages remove hydrogenation catalyst residue to meet finished-product heavy-metal limits.
Standardised to THC 99%
In-process and batch-release HPLC assay are used to check the finished tetrahydrocurcumin against its declared THC 99% specification.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured from pilot scale for product development to commercial capacity with modular expansion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is tetrahydrocurcumin and how is it different from curcumin?

Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is curcumin with its double bonds saturated by catalytic hydrogenation — a chemically distinct, hydrogenated derivative, not simply curcumin at a different purity. This removes the characteristic yellow colour and staining while retaining strong antioxidant activity, making it suitable for cosmetic and light-sensitive formulations where curcumin's colour is a drawback.

How is Tetrahydrocurcumin different from Nano Curcumin?

Both start from the same standardised curcuminoid feedstock, but the second process stage is fundamentally different. Nano Curcumin physically reduces particle size to 20-100nm to improve solubility and absorption — the curcuminoid molecule itself is unchanged. Tetrahydrocurcumin chemically alters the molecule itself via catalytic hydrogenation, producing a colourless derivative with a different structure. One is a physical/formulation change; the other is a chemical reaction.

Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for tetrahydrocurcumin production?

Yes. Mechotech supplies the complete turnkey plant — curcumin extraction, catalytic hydrogenation, catalyst removal, purification, and drying — engineered, fabricated at our Hyderabad facility, installed and commissioned as a single integrated system.

What specification can the THC plant achieve?

The plant is engineered to reach THC 99% purity, confirmed by batch-release HPLC testing with full certificate-of-analysis documentation.

How is hydrogenation catalyst residue controlled?

A dedicated filtration and purification stage removes catalyst residue after hydrogenation, with batch-release testing confirming heavy-metal limits are met before release.

Why does hydrogenation remove curcumin's yellow colour?

Curcumin's yellow colour comes from a conjugated double-bond system in its diarylheptanoid structure. Catalytic hydrogenation saturates those double bonds, disrupting the conjugation responsible for colour and staining while leaving the underlying antioxidant-active structure intact — the basis for THC's non-staining, colourless profile.

Which industries use tetrahydrocurcumin?

Cosmeceutical, skincare, and dermatological formulators are the primary users — including skin-lightening and anti-ageing formulations where a colourless antioxidant is required — alongside nutraceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturers who need a non-staining ingredient.

What batch capacities are available for THC production?

Mechotech builds tetrahydrocurcumin systems from pilot scale for product development up to commercial production, sized to your confirmed demand and investment timeline. We recommend a pilot plant to validate hydrogenation conversion and catalyst-removal parameters before scaling.

What type of catalyst is used in the hydrogenation step?

Catalytic hydrogenation of curcuminoids typically uses a supported metal catalyst under controlled hydrogen pressure and temperature; the exact catalyst system and reaction parameters are engineered around your target conversion rate and the finished THC 99% specification during process design, alongside the downstream filtration and purification stages needed to remove catalyst residue.

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Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC)