Executive Summary
A leading nutraceutical ingredient manufacturer required a turnkey processing facility to produce premium-quality Green Tea Polyphenol Extract standardized to 50%, 70%, 80%, and 98% Polyphenols, including high-EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) grades for international markets.
The client sought an advanced extraction system capable of preserving heat-sensitive catechins, maximizing extraction yield, minimizing oxidation, and reducing solvent and utility consumption while complying with GMP and international quality standards.
MECH O TECH LLP designed, manufactured, installed, and commissioned a 10 TPD Green Tea Polyphenol Extraction Plant incorporating low-temperature extraction, membrane clarification, vacuum concentration, purification, solvent recovery, drying, and PLC-SCADA automation.
The plant consistently delivers export-quality Green Tea Extract with exceptional catechin retention, high antioxidant activity, and superior production efficiency.
Customer Background
The customer supplies botanical extracts to global manufacturers of dietary supplements, functional beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical formulations. Increasing demand for natural antioxidants and EGCG-rich extracts required a large-scale, automated production facility capable of delivering consistent product quality and international regulatory compliance.
Customer Challenges
Before modernization, the customer experienced:
- Oxidation of catechins during processing
- Low EGCG recovery
- High solvent consumption
- Long extraction cycles
- Inconsistent polyphenol standardization
- High steam and energy costs
- Manual production affecting batch consistency
- Difficulty meeting export specifications
- Limited production capacity
Project Objectives
MECH O TECH LLP was tasked with designing a facility capable of:
- Processing 10 MT/day of Green Tea Leaves
- Producing standardized extracts containing 50–98% Polyphenols
- Maximizing EGCG recovery
- Preserving antioxidant activity
- Recovering over 98% of extraction solvent
- Reducing production costs
- Achieving GMP compliance
- Supporting future expansion
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Camellia sinensis
- Common Name
- Green Tea
- Plant Part Used
- Tender Green Tea Leaves
- Moisture Content
- 5–8%
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 10,000 kg/day
Finished Product
Available Options
Applications
- Nutraceutical Capsules
- Functional Beverages
- Sports Nutrition
- Cosmetics
- Anti-aging Formulations
- Pharmaceutical Products
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
Premium green tea leaves are cleaned and gently processed to preserve delicate catechins before entering the extraction process.
Low Temperature Extraction
The prepared tea leaves are extracted using a controlled hydro-alcoholic system operating at optimized temperatures that prevent degradation of heat-sensitive polyphenols.
Advantages include:
- Maximum catechin recovery
- High EGCG retention
- Superior antioxidant activity
- Reduced oxidation
- Improved extraction efficiency
Filtration
The extract passes through multiple clarification stages to remove suspended solids while retaining valuable bioactive compounds.
Membrane Clarification
Advanced membrane technology removes fine impurities without exposing the extract to excessive heat.
Benefits include:
- Improved product clarity
- Better color stability
- Reduced downstream processing load
- Higher final purity
Vacuum Concentration
The clarified extract is concentrated under reduced pressure using energy-efficient vacuum evaporators.
This stage ensures:
- Protection of active compounds
- Reduced steam consumption
- Higher concentration efficiency
- Better flavor preservation
Purification
Specialized purification systems selectively enrich catechins while reducing caffeine, chlorophyll, and other unwanted components according to customer specifications.
Solvent Recovery
A high-efficiency closed-loop solvent recovery system captures and recycles extraction solvent with recovery efficiencies exceeding 98%, significantly reducing operating costs and environmental impact.
Spray Drying
The concentrated extract is converted into a stable free-flowing powder using advanced spray drying technology.
The finished powder exhibits:
- Excellent solubility
- Uniform particle size
- Low residual moisture
- High antioxidant stability
- Long shelf life
Blending & Standardization
Final blending ensures customer-specific polyphenol and EGCG concentrations before packaging.
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning System
- Leaf Size Reduction System
- Stainless Steel Extraction Vessels
- Solvent Storage Tanks
- Plate Heat Exchangers
- Pressure Leaf Filters
- Membrane Filtration System
- Vacuum Evaporator
- Purification Columns
- Solvent Recovery Unit
- Condensers
- Spray Dryer
- Ribbon Blender
- Storage Tanks
- CIP System
- PLC-SCADA Automation Panel
- Electrical MCC
- Instrumentation Package
Automation Features
The fully automated plant includes:
- Recipe Management
- Automated Batch Control
- Temperature Monitoring
- Solvent Flow Control
- Vacuum Monitoring
- Membrane Pressure Monitoring
- Alarm Management
- Historical Batch Records
- Production Reporting
- Energy Monitoring
- Remote Diagnostics
GMP & Safety Features
The plant is designed to comply with international GMP and hygienic manufacturing standards. Key features include:
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic sanitary piping
- CIP-compatible equipment
- Closed-loop solvent handling
- Nitrogen blanketing
- Flameproof motors and electrical systems
- Explosion-proof instrumentation in solvent zones
- Pressure safety systems
- Emergency shutdown interlocks
- Validation-ready design
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- Cooling Tower
- Chilled Water System
- Vacuum System
- Air Compressor
- Electrical Power
- Soft Water System
- Nitrogen Supply
Sustainability Features
MECH O TECH LLP integrates sustainable engineering principles throughout the plant:
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Low-energy vacuum evaporation
- Water reuse systems
- Heat recovery integration
- Reduced emissions
- Low wastewater generation
- Optimized steam utilization
- Environmentally responsible process design
Customer Benefits
Following commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Higher Polyphenol and EGCG recovery
- Excellent batch consistency
- Reduced oxidation losses
- Lower solvent consumption
- Reduced steam and utility costs
- Shorter production cycles
- Improved export acceptance
- Enhanced operator safety
- Increased production capacity
- Strong return on investment
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mech O Tech LLP?
MECH O TECH LLP is a globally recognized manufacturer of advanced extraction and processing systems for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, food, botanical, and specialty chemical industries. Our expertise in solvent extraction, membrane filtration, purification, solvent recovery, drying, and intelligent automation enables customers to manufacture premium botanical ingredients with maximum efficiency and international regulatory compliance.
Conclusion
The Green Tea Polyphenol Extraction Plant developed by MECH O TECH LLP represents the latest generation of botanical processing technology. Through precision extraction, advanced purification, intelligent automation, and energy-efficient process engineering, the plant consistently delivers high-purity Green Tea Extract with outstanding antioxidant activity, making it the preferred solution for manufacturers supplying global nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, beverage, and functional food markets.
Key Technical Highlights
- Raw Material
- Camellia sinensis (Green Tea Leaves)
- Capacity
- 2–20 TPD (customizable)
- Finished Product
- 50%, 70%, 80%, 98% Polyphenols & High-EGCG Extract
- Solvent Recovery
- Up to 98%
- Automation
- PLC-SCADA with recipe-based batch control
- Construction Material
- SS 304 / SS 316L
- Compliance
- GMP, WHO-GMP, USFDA-ready hygienic design, CE-compliant equipment where applicable
- Applications
- Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, Pharmaceuticals, Beverages, Cosmetics
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