Yellow Colour
Yellow Colour
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for the yellow colour group (the catalogue spells it Yellow Colour). In the Mechotech catalogue this group lists Leaves - Bay Leaves / Tea; Stamens - Saffron; Flowers - MariGold / Queen Annes Lace / Golden Rod; Plant - St. John's Wort / Larkspur; Roots - Turmeric; Innerbark or Shavings - Osage Orange; Skins - Brown Onion; and Seeds - Annotto. The catalogue treats yellow as a group page rather than a single plant: the member pages describe the individual raw materials. Mechotech has an article for each member, and they describe two broad pigment families: water-soluble flavonoids fixed to fibre with a mordant (bay and other tree leaves, goldenrod and Queen Anne’s lace, St. John’s wort and larkspur, Osage orange, brown onion skins), and carotenoid and related pigments (marigold lutein, annatto bixin and norbixin, saffron crocin), with turmeric’s curcuminoids as a third, fat-soluble polyphenol colour.
Mechotech’s yellow 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 raw material, solvent and extraction route are selected during process development and pilot validation; the member pages record the route each article describes.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Yellow Colour Natural Colour Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Selected from the group: Leaves - Bay Leaves / Tea; Stamens - Saffron; Flowers - MariGold / Queen Annes Lace / Golden Rod; Plant - St. John's Wort / Larkspur; Roots - Turmeric; Innerbark or Shavings - Osage Orange; Skins - Brown Onion; Seeds - Annotto |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Varies by raw material (leaves, stamens or threads, flowers, whole plant, roots or rhizomes, inner bark or shavings, skins, seeds); confirmed with the client for the chosen material |
| Colour Group | Yellow Colour |
| Colour-forming Components | Flavonoids, carotenoid and related pigments, and curcuminoids, depending on the member (per the member articles) |
| 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 with water, alcohol / aqueous or other food-grade solvent, chosen for the pigment of the selected material |
| 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, vacuum or freeze 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 (yellow 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 chosen raw material is authenticated, tested for moisture and cleaned, then milled, chopped, crushed or graded to a form that suits its pigment, so the solvent can reach the tissue before extraction.
Extraction
The prepared raw material is extracted in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors at controlled temperature over multiple cycles, with the solvent chosen for the pigment of the selected material: water for many flavonoid sources, solvent for fat-soluble curcuminoids, oil or alkali for annatto, and gentle low-temperature aqueous extraction for saffron crocin, as the member articles describe.
Filtration
The extract is 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, so that heat exposure of the pigment stays low.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed for colour strength and adjusted to the client’s target specification before the final finishing step.
Drying & Quality Control
The standardised extract is supplied as a liquid or spray-, vacuum- or freeze-dried where a powder is required, then released after the agreed assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial and moisture tests.
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 yellow colour for food and beverage (subject to approval of the specific colour in each market)
- Natural textile dyeing with mordants (per the member articles)
- Cosmetic and personal-care colour applications
- Natural colour and dye ingredient supply
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Multi-Material Flexibility
One group page covers eight raw materials; the plant is configured to the pigment of the material the client chooses.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Where a solvent is used, integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches and reduces solvent loss.
Gentle Concentration
Vacuum concentration keeps heat exposure of the pigment low, which the articles stress for heat- and light-sensitive 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 Yellow Colour?
What specification can the Yellow Colour plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Yellow Colour plant?
Which industries use the Yellow Colour plant?
Which raw materials are in the Yellow Colour group?
What gives plants a yellow colour, and which pigment does this group use?
Why are the members so different from each other?
How is the raw material chosen?
Which related colour pages does Mechotech list?
Ready to discuss your project?
Get a free quote and technical consultation from our engineering team.