'Deven Supercriticals Pvt. Ltd.' offer tailor made Pilot and Commercial scale SCFE plants.
We undertake turnkey assignment in field of Supercritical Fluid Extraction. Optimisation of
capital investment through innovative, custom made hardware and process designs as well
as total technology support from 'Concept to Commissioning' and beyond, has been our
speciality and advantage.
The potential applications for the SCFE process include: Spice oils and oleoresins,
Fragrances (essential oils) from flowers & aromatic natural materials (sandal wood, Agar
wood), natural pesticides from neem & pyrethrum, natural food colours, natural antioxidants,
medicinal (herbal) extracts, decaffeination, tobacco extracts, etc.
We have been able to successfully compete in the international market with established
SCFE equipment suppliers from Europe, USA, Japan etc. In last thirteen years, 'Nineteen'
SCFE plants (from Pilot to Commercial scale) have been manufactured, including export
orders from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia and commercial scale SCFE plants, 4 x 200 Liter
extractor capacity for M/S. Sami Labs Ltd., 3 x 200 Liter extractor capacity for Aceagro
Biosciences Ltd. and 3 x 225 Liter extractor capacity for Vidya Herbs Pvt. Ltd. in India. Two
commercial scale plants are currently under manufacturing.
Worldwide, over the last few decades, Supercritical Fluid Extraction Technology has emerged as a superior alternative to the conventional techniques for extraction of natural products in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. However, there is still a very large potential for popularising the use of SCFE to achieve better value addition and to generate preference for quality natural products, than the traditionally processed natural products. SCFE process has inbuilt features, which improve the quality of extracts by: retaining the natural freshness, delicacy and more importantly the synergistic bio-activity of natural molecules. Thus the concentrated extracts obtained from SCFE truly preserve and represent the desired goodness present in natural raw materials. This aspect also vastly increases the application potential of natural molecules in processed foods, medicines, convenience products like fragrances, cosmetics etc.
SCFE is comparatively more capital-intensive, due to the requirements of high pressure operation and very accurate process control. But more importantly, the high premium charged by equipment / service providers from developed countries, based on novelty of this technology, substantially increases investment of SCFE plants, making the imported SCFE technology economically unviable in developing countries. These are primarily the reasons why although SCFE has been successfully commercialised in developed countries for more than twenty years, it is yet to find its true potential in developing countries / international markets.
Indigenous innovative design, development and manufacture of SCFE plant
and equipment so as to optimise the capital investment has been the key
element in our SCFE technology development.
We offer indigenously developed, world-class SCFE plants with:
>> Substantially lower cost than the imported equivalent: Thus making the
SCFE technology truly economically viable.
>> Innovative features in Hardware as well as Processes (Software).
>> Complete inspection and certification of all manufactured equipment by a
reputed international Third Party Inspection agency such as 'TUV'.
>> Support of continued R & D effort in new product / process development.
>> Availability of total technical support / services to user industries.
Thus systematic use of world class yet economically viable SCFE technology
can help natural product industry to gain its share in rapidly growing
international market for high quality, value added products.
>> Our SCFE Plant is offered with a much larger High Pressure Extraction Vessel,
suitable to accommodate the Feed Basket with useful internal volume of
desired capacity. Thus our SFE plant gives truly an extraction capacity as per
specification in each extractor.
>> Main Features on our SCFE system that are important regarding Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Compatibility:
a) We design and manufacture 'World Class' SCFE equipment as per
stringent International codes and guidelines (ASME Code, Section VIII).
b) All our designs, raw materials, manufacturing and testing steps are carried
out under 'Third Party Inspection' from internationally reputed and one of
the largest International inspection agency 'TÜV' having head quarters in
Germany.
c) The equipment is designed to give dead volume-free and fully drainable
installation.
d) Use of 316 Grade Stainless Steel for all surfaces coming into contact with
fluids (CO2 with extract).
e) Surfaces in Extractors, Separators etc are finally polished to get very
smooth finish, that would help in Cleaning operation for food grade
application.
f) Food grade Polymers like PTFE, polyethylene; silicon etc used for purpose
of Seals, Glands etc.
g) Load bearing support structure made of stainless steel or Normal steel
is covered with stainless steel to maintain cleanliness of support structure.
h) No open cable ducts by use of special support structure design: Easy to
maintain cleanliness of support structure.
i) Use of Stainless Steel cladding on Thermal Insulation of process vessels:
Easy to maintain cleanliness.
j) PLC based instrumentation & control system with independent control
panel Consists of State of the art computerised Programmable Logic
Control (PLC) based control system which interacts with a computer
system through latest Windows based Human Machine Interface (H.M.I.)
software. This allows remote monitoring, recording and control of the
operating parameters as well as implementation of fail proof safety
interlocks to take care of large deviations from the set points or any
unexpected / undesirable situations during SFE plant operation. The
control system would facilitate a semi-automatic operation requiring
minimal operator input. The H.M.I. System will consist of several screens
representing different sections of SFE process. All process variables such
as temperatures, pressures, CO2 flow rate etc. would be displayed on
these screens. Operating and monitoring system is used to enable the
user to visualise and operate the control system - via a computer. In order
to be able to control a process, quality-relevant process parameters are
measured using calibrated sensors. The parameters are being kept within
their limits by automatic control loops through use of PLC and windows
based logic software.
k) User friendly Safety features such as Interlock Logic Software, Calibrated
instruments like Rupture disks, Pressure switches, Smart pressure
transmitters, Level transmitters, Mass flow meters etc.
l) Preventative maintenance Procedure is part of standard operating manual.
>> We use critical components from one of the top international manufacturers in
the respective field. Thus the resulting SCFE system is truly world class and
second to none in international market.
>> The High pressure extractors and Separators are equipped with Quick Acting
Closures, designed for easy and safe operation.
>> It is very important to note that, although the initial investment for SCFE plant
is higher than conventional solvent extraction process, because of many
beneficial features of the SCFE technology, the SCFE venture ultimately show
a good profitability.
The features being,
* Lower solvent (CO2) cost than any other organic solvent like Hexane.
* Lower batch times (2 - 4 hours v/s. 10 - 15 hours in solvent extraction).
* Higher concentration of active / desirable components in the extract.
* Environment friendly process, no pollution control related costs etc.
>> Secondly, there are practical problems that are associated with extracts
produced by solvent extraction, affecting the actual viability of this
conventional technology in present and future times:
* The traditional natural extracts undergo degradation during conventional
processing due to involvement of high temperature operations, severely
affecting the overall quality, efficacy and application potential of the value
added natural product.
* The demand and acceptability of hexane and other organic solvent
extracted products is limited and expected to go down further with stringent
regulations and consumer awareness regarding suspected carcinogenic
effect of the organic solvents as well as their impact on environment.
* Till recently, majority of spice oil and oleoresins were produced by
chlorinated solvents, the use of which is now banned. The solvent, most
commonly used today is Hexane. However, in USA market, the residual
hexane content in the products has to be less than 25 PPM and the limit is
expected to go down further. In Japan even 25 PPM hexane in extracts is
to be banned, so also in Europe. SCFE has successfully and totally
replaced chlorinated solvents in applications like decaffeination of tea and
coffee, Hops extraction etc. Similar trend is observed in other applications
using organic solvents as well. The trend is gaining momentum and thus
solvent extraction process may be phased out in near future.
* The public opinion has become sensitive to use of Eco-friendly technology.
ISO 14000 certificate is becoming important for exports especially of food
products. It ensures that the process used is free of undesirable effluents
that are produced at every step, right from raw material to finished product
going to the consumer. Thus solvent extraction process is finding it
increasingly difficult and costly to satisfy these regulations.
The effects of above factors are already evident, with majority of existing
hexane extraction spice processing plants being either operating below
optimum capacity or are closed down even though the world demand and
consumption of spice extracts is showing a steady growth.
Thus the industry needs to change over to modern technologies which can
improve the quality and reputation of natural products.
>> Supercritical Fluid Extraction not only takes care of the said difficulties but
also offers some additional benefits.
The reasons for preferring SCFE process are the following:
>> Superior Product
* Undegraded extracts with delicacy and freshness close to natural.
* High concentration of desired active components.
* Preserving the synergistic bio-activity of molecules in the extract.
* No residual solvent.
* Free of biological (microbial) contaminants.
* Longer shelf life.
>> Superior Process
* Simultaneous fractionation of extract possible to get spice oil and
oleoresin in a single step.
* Flexible operating conditions for multiple product extraction.
* Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is used as solvent that is: Generally Regarded as
Safe (GRAS) for food products.
Considering above factors, SCFE is undoubtedly much superior process than
any other solvent extraction or steam distillation processes used today.
>> Other application areas for Supercritical Fluid Processing:
* Micronisation (Particle Design)
* Sterlization (Preservation)
* Precesion Cleaning
* Textile Dying
* Reactions
>> Consists of a Control Panel with State-of-the-art stand alone Programmable Logic
Controller (PLC) based Computerised control system which interacts through a
windows based Human Machine Interface (H.M.I.) software. This allows remote
monitoring, recording and control of the operating parameters as well as
implementation of fail proof safety interlocks to take care of large deviations from
the set points or any unexpected / undesirable situations during SCFE plant
operation.
The control system would facilitate a semi-automatic operation requiring minimal
operator input. The H.M.I. System will consist of several screens representing
different sections of SCFE process. All process variables such as temperatures,
pressures, CO2 flow rate etc. would be displayed on these screens. The system
set point values can be configured from these screens. Graphic display screens
would also consist of soft push buttons for operation of critical equipment as well
as alarm annunciation graphic screens to provide convenient visual indication of
faults. The facility for plotting trends of change in operating parameters and
recording batch/event history would also be available.
>> Instrumentation
* Modern smart Pressure transmitters for accurate pressure monitoring and
control over a wide range of operating conditions, Pressure gauges for local
indications.
* High-pressure Temperature transmitters for direct measurement and control of
process fluid temperatures.
* Accurate mass flow monitoring system for CO2.
* CO2 Level transmitter for CO2 Day Tank.
* Electro-Pneumatically operated control valves (high & low pressure) for control
of pressure & temperature of CO2 at different sections of the main SCFE plant.
* Pressure Relief Valves, Rupture disks, Pressure switches, and interlock logic
software for safety interlocks.
