Content uploaded by Oleg Novikov
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Oleg Novikov on Feb 03, 2024
Content may be subject to copyright.
Vacuum steam extraction from plant materials and equipment “Alpha-
Ether-Vacuum” for obtaining vacuum extracts
Dr Novikov O.N.
81632648@mail.ru
Abstract
Vacuum steam extraction process is a high-tech process for the production of plant extracts in
the food and pharmaceutical industries. Vacuum processes are quite safe from the point of view
of equipment operation and industrial safety, provided that they occur in usually small volumes
and low temperatures necessary to extract the volatile components of plant materials. The
resulting products: vacuum extracts, are completely natural extracts from plants in an oxygen-
free environment. To implement this process and obtain the specified ones, an installation for the
production of essential oils Alpha-Ether-Vacuum has been developed and put into serial
production. Vacuum extracts with maximum quality are obtained in one stage. The vacuum
extracts obtained at the installation differ from: hydrosols, essential oils, macerates and
supercritical extracts and are distinguished by an increased content of water-soluble
components. Taking into account the low temperature, aromatic extracts with odors most specific
to the processed raw materials are obtained.
Keywords: Alpha Ether Vacuum equipment, low vacuum extraction, water-soluble
components
The vacuum extraction process is a promising direction for the production of
thermally unstable volatile substances of plants. The processed raw materials are
placed in a closed loop, where they are processed by steam at a temperature of
minimum – 40 maximum - 60 0C and a medium rarefied to -0.15 Bar. When the
vacuum pump is turned on and the rarefaction is created, the boiling point of water
decreases and the formed vapors of water and volatile substances from the
intercellular and cellular fluid of plant raw materials form azeotrope vapor and
enter the working chamber, from which the vapors go to the condenser-heat
exchanger where they cool and condense. Passing through the layer of raw
materials, the rarefied aqueous gas is saturated with fragrant substances contained
in the plant and other volatile water-soluble substances.
In order to implement this process in small production facilities, to obtain high-
quality products based on low vacuum and water vapor or water gas in one stage,
the Alpha-Ether-Vacuum installation was developed [1, 2]. The installation is made
of food-grade stainless steel. The design of the installation ensures a uniform
supply of steam throughout the entire volume of raw materials, an isothermal
treatment mode at a temperature of liquid-vacuum saturated water vapor. The
temperature is maintained by evenly heating the working chamber from the outside
with a water jacket at a set temperature. Vegetable raw materials are placed in the
working chamber. A vacuum is maintained in the working chamber
- 0.15 -0.5 Bar. A vacuum pump is used to create a vacuum. The installation is
equipped with a microprocessor device for monitoring the water level in the water
jacket, the temperature in the working jacket, a vacuum meter for vacuum control,
a pump for replenishing the steam generator and a vacuum pump. The installation
can work both on a stationary source of purified water and on portable water tanks.
The Alpha-Ether-compact Vacuum-300 model, which allows processing small
batches of any plant raw materials, from 0.5 to 5.0 kg, for example, wild plants.
The model processes the specified batch of plant raw materials to obtain 1 liter of
vacuum extract per cycle. Processing takes from 30 minutes to 1 hour. The
concentration of useful components in the extract depends on the presence of such
components in the raw material.
The Alfa-Ether Compact Vacuum installation has been widely tested in leading
scientific centers and worked on a variety of raw materials. Vacuum extracts of
cucumber (cucumis sativus) with a characteristic odor were obtained. The
processing time is 60 minutes. The yield of the steam vacuum extract is 24.7%.
Until now, cucumber extract could be obtained by alcohol extraction or
supercritical extraction. Steam distillation processes at 100 0C destroyed the
aromatic components of cucumis sativus. The vacuum treatment took place at 45
0C. At atmospheric pressure, cucumis sativus, like all plants of the Pumpkin
family, does not extract a similar natural odor at the temperature of water vapor.
Alpha Ether Vacuum is multifunctional and allows you to work in several
additional modes: low-vacuum extraction with extraction of an aqueous extract,
steam hydrodistillation, atmospheric steam extraction, maceration with water of
different temperatures or water-alcohol mixtures, as well as in the fermentation
mode of raw materials and many others (upon request to the developer).
Conclusion:
1. The installation for the production of low-vacuum extracts "Alpha-Ether-Vacuum", allows you
to obtain steam vacuum extracts for the food and pharmaceutical industry using the example of
aromatic extraction from cucumis sativus and other plants with thermally unstable aromatic
substances.
List of literature:
1. TU 5131 - 004 – 68804313 — 2012 "Installation for the production of essential oil and
intermediates "Alfa-Ether"
2. Novikov O.N., Novitskaya L.A. ALFA-ETHER PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
ESSENTIAL OILS AND HYDROLATES BY STEAM EXTRACTION : New and non-
traditional plants and prospects for their use. 2017. No. S12. pp. 291-292