Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre

Keeping in view, the constraints of Research & Development Institute for scaling –up the developed processes, a semi-commercial scale pilot plant facility for processing of essential oil, perfumery and aroma chemical has been created in the Centre.

The other objective for creating semi-commercial scale processing facility in the Centre are process condition standardization of essential oils & aroma chemicals, process development for processing of essential oils & aroma chemicals, process development for value addition in essential oils and providing common facility to industrial units in processing of essential oil on job work basis on the lines of developed & standardized processes.

The overall objective for creation of this division in the centre has been upgradation of technological status of essential oil & perfumery industry

Reaction Unit

Value addition in essential oils for increasing share of margin, a multiferial reactor capable of handling diverse chemical reactions is also a part of pilot plant.

Reactor Capacity – 300 Litres

Charge Capacity – 200 Kgs.

The reaction assembly coupled with fractional distillation column can as well be used for manufacture of drug intermediates also, while it is idle for aroma chemical manufacture.

Hydrogenation Unit

A Hydrogenation unit for value addition in essential oil & aroma chemicals by reduction process has recently been added to pilot plant facility. This unit has been designed to operate at 120 Psig. Pressure & 150 c temperature with jacket & spiral stiffeners facility.

Vessel Capacity – 250 Litres

Charge Capacity – 180 Kgs

Steam Distillation Unit

A Hydrogenation unit for value addition in essential oil & aroma chemicals by reduction process has recently been added to pilot plant facility. This unit has been designed to operate at 120 Psig. Pressure & 150 c temperature with jacket & spiral stiffeners facility.

Vessel Capacity – 250 Litres

Charge Capacity – 180 Kgs

Solvent Extraction Unit

Solvent extraction unit can handle manufacture of concretes, resinoids, oleoresins and absolute from flowers , resins , gums & spices. For solvent recovery in traces , this unit is attached with stripping / Solvent Recovery unit with appropriate heating & vacuum arrangements.

Extractor Capacity – 700 Litres

Change Capacity – 150-200 Kgs.

The versatile design of solvent extraction unit is quite suitable for herbal extraction from soft plant material e.g. leaves, twigs flowers, soft bark etc. by circulating decoction process. The unit capacity being used for solvent extraction by:

Percolation at ambient temperature

Hot solvent extraction by the soxhlet method

Repeated leaching with hot or cold solvent

Extraction by hot /cold solvent under agitation

Fractional Distillation Unit

A fractional distillation unit with arrangements to operate it at reduced pressure & indirect heating system for processing of essential oils into isolates and aroma chemicals to a high degree of purity with acceptability to perfumers/flavourist is the attraction of this unit. This fractional distillation column is equipped with pneumatically controlled reflux divider with automatic timer and temperature sensors at all segments of the column for efficient operation and better separation of the isolates.

Recoiled Capacity – 250 Litres

Charge Capacity – 180 Kgs

In addition to semi-commercial capacity fractionating column as above, various capacity of glass fractionating columns are also available for process conditions development and standardization

Menthol Oil Crystallization Unit

Menthol processing unit for menthol flakes & bold crystals with arrangement to separate the mother liquor from the product is also a part of pilot plant.

Freezers Capacity – 1000 Litres

Charge Capacity – 700 Kgs.

Glass Lined Reactor Attached with Cryostate

Charge capacity – 60 Kgs.