Pectin Powder Plant
Usage and Advantages of Pectin Powder.
- Pectin being a great inert, biodegradable and biocompatible complex, is widely used in various fields such as in textiles, food industries as gelling agents, pharmaceuticals and other products as well.
- Pectin is one of the major natural constituents of human food, and they have been widely used as a gelling agent for jams and jellies.
- Films of pectin are used to encapsulate and thicken food, and in pharmaceuticals.
- Pectin as the natural polymer is a new developed interest for drug delivery application due to its properties of gel formation in acidic condition, its mucoadhesive and its ability to dissolve in basic environment.
- Pectin production is valorisation of fruit waste and an approach to environment friendly bi-refinery.
- Pectin can be used as an encapsulating and carrier agent in production of fruit powders.
Process Description:
1 Fruit Peel Grinder and Dryer
Fruit peels are received from juicing section of the factory (where are fruits are
completely blanched before juicing) and stored into drying yard. The Citrus peels are
shred/ground to required size and fed to a Dryer. In the Dryer Citrus peels are dried to
predetermined moisture level required for long storage without much degradation of the
biochemicals available in peels.
During season in continuous process fine ground wet peels are directly sent to rotary
extractor to remove the left-over juice and or enzymes, glue deactivation.
2. Fine Grinder for Fruit pill
The Dried peels are grinded in small micronic size suitable for extraction. The process is continuous as the peels are ground are sent to extraction tank for hydrolysis.
3. Hydrolysis Reactor
Hydrolysis reactor is fed with ground peels with water and mineral acid solution to predetermined level for optimum yield of pectin. The Water quantity and mineral acid quantity depends on the wet or dry ground peels and its shredded size. Dried peels require less water and optimum quantity of mineral acids.
4. Disc Centrifuge
Hydrolysed solution containing pectin and other by-products with residue are sent to centrifuge to remove the residue from the solution. The residue is used as an animal feed after washing. The supernatant obtained is collected in one tank and where it is stored for some time for PH adjustment by adding alkali solution.
5. Thermal Evaporator for Concentration
A multi-effect evaporator (MEE) with combination of falling film and Forced Circulation Calandrias is used for concentration of solution. In evaporator care is taken not to overheat the solution which may degrade the pectin and other compounds in the solution. The predetermined specific residence time and temperature for evaporation is employed.
6. Precipitation
The concentrated liquid is then taken into a stainless-steel jacketed tank and precipitation is done with ethanol at predetermined temperature and time.
7. Filtration
The precipitated solution is then vacuum filtered through a filter in which it is filtered, washed and then discharged into a slurry preparation tank.
8. Spray Drying
The pectin solution is then spray dried in specially designed in co-current spray dryer.
9. Spray Drying
Product is cooled and in a pneumatic conveying system or Screw Cooler and then passed on to packing machine hopper, where it is continuously packed under dehumidified condition.
Features
- Low temperature extraction, Evaporation and drying which maintains the qualities of pectin.
- High molecular weight pectin is produced which are having the maximum application in the industry.
- cGMP construction of equipment to maintain high hygiene level.
- Fully automatic, compact and energy efficient system to ensure smooth and ease of operation.
- Plant foot print is planned as per availability of land from customer.
- Complete sanitary design with CIP system