Below is a complete, CESI-ready Supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) Extraction Process Flow tailored for Elemi resin, Elemi essential oil, Agarwood oil, and mixed perfumery crops under Crown Extraction Solutions Inc. (CESI).
This is formatted in a process-engineering flow with operational parameters, GMP requirements, and scalable design (pilot → commercial).
(CESI – Crown Extraction Solutions Inc.)
For Elemi Resin, Elemi Essential Oil, Agarwood Oil & High-Value Perfumery Crops
I. RAW MATERIAL PREPARATION
1. Sourcing
- Fresh Elemi resin (Protium copal / Canarium luzonicum)
- Dried Agarwood chips (Aquilaria malaccensis / A. crassna)
- Other perfumery crops (champaca, ylang-ylang, citrus peels, nutmeg, cinnamon bark)
- Certified organic, traceable batches via CESI–CAPI plantation supply chain
- Moisture content targets:
- Elemi resin: < 10%
- Agarwood chips: 5–12%
- Leaf/flower crops: 5–8%
2. Pre-processing
| Material | Size Reduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elemi resin | granules 5–10 mm | Gentle grinding; avoid friction heat |
| Agarwood chips | 2–5 mm shavings | Uniformity improves solubility |
| Flowers/leaves | 1–3 cm | Shade dried; no sun exposure |
3. Pre-Drying & Conditioning
- Tray dryer or dehumidifier at 35–45°C
- Prevent oxidation (use nitrogen-purged containers)
- Store in GMP-compliant bins
II. LOADING & SYSTEM PREPARATION
- Seal extractor vessel (5 L pilot / 25–50 L commercial modules)
- Load biomass in perforated stainless baskets
- Tighten vessel clamps to operational pressure rating (~450 bar)
- Purge with CO₂ to remove oxygen and moisture
- Start heating jackets to reach extraction temperature
III. EXTRACTION PHASE (SC-CO₂)
A. Operating Parameters
For Elemi Oil (terpenes, limonene, elemicin):
- Pressure: 90–150 bar
- Temperature: 35–45°C
- CO₂ Flow Rate: 8–12 kg/hr per 5 L vessel
- Extraction Time: 1.5–2.5 hours
For Elemi Resin Absolute (heavier diterpenes):
- Pressure: 250–300 bar
- Temperature: 45–55°C
- Extraction Time: 2–4 hours
- Fractionation: Use dual separators (S1 for volatiles, S2 for resins)
For Agarwood Oil (sesquiterpenes, chromones):
- Pressure: 280–350 bar
- Temperature: 42–55°C
- Time: 4–6 hours
- Optional Co-solvent: 2–5% organic ethanol → improves chromone yield
For Flower Oils (champaca, ylang):
- Pressure: 90–120 bar
- Temperature: 35–40°C
- Time: 1–2 hours
- Yields: 0.1–1.2% depending on crop
IV. CO₂–SOLUTE SEPARATION STAGE
Separator 1 (S1 – Volatile Light Fraction)
- Lower pressure: 70–90 bar
- Temperature: 20–25°C
- Collect light terpenes (elemi essential oil, monoterpenes)
Separator 2 (S2 – Heavy Fraction)
- Pressure: 20–40 bar
- Temperature: 5–10°C
- Collect oleoresins / agarwood heavy molecular fractions
Separator 3 (Optional – Wax Separator)
- Pressure: 5–15 bar
- Temp: 0–5°C
- Removes unwanted waxes and heavy lipids
V. RECOMPRESSION & CO₂ RECIRCULATION LOOP
- Gas recompression pump brings CO₂ back to supercritical region (300+ bar)
- Heat exchanger restores SC-CO₂ temperature
- CO₂ purification filters remove:
- fine waxes
- dust particles
- residual plant solids
- Closed-loop return to extraction vessel
CO₂ recovery rate: 95–98%
VI. FINAL PRODUCT HANDLING
1. Filtration & Polish
- 0.2–0.45 μm inline filtration
- Removes micro-waxes and particulates
2. Fraction Recombination (optional)
- Blend S1 + S2 in desired ratio for:
- Premium Elemi Pure Oil
- Elemi absolute
- Agarwood high-chromone oil fractions
3. Vacuum Degassing
- Removes trapped CO₂ bubbles
- Avoids oxidation
4. Stabilization
- Add natural antioxidants (e.g., tocopherols) if required
5. Packaging
- Amber glass bottles with nitrogen blanketing
- Stainless drums for bulk export
- Ensure GMP + ISO 4730 + IFRA compliance
VII. GMP, QA/QC, & LAB ANALYSIS
Standard tests for Elemi & Agarwood oils
| Test | Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| GC–MS | Chromatographic profiling | Sesquiterpene & resin profile |
| FTIR | Fingerprint validation | Identity & purity |
| Specific Gravity | Density measurement | Detect adulteration |
| Refractive Index | Optical purity | Composition check |
| Peroxide Value | Oxidation stability | Shelf-life estimation |
VIII. SC-CO₂ EXTRACTION FLOW DIAGRAM (TEXT VISUAL)
┌────────────┐
│ Raw Material│
└──────┬─────┘
▼
┌────────────┐
│ Pre-Drying │
└──────┬─────┘
▼
┌────────────┐
│ Grinding / │
│ Size Red. │
└──────┬─────┘
▼
┌────────────┐
│ Loading in │
│ Vessel │
└──────┬─────┘
▼
┌───────────────────┐
│ SC-CO₂ Extraction │
│ (High Pressure) │
└──────┬────────────┘
▼
┌────────────────────┐
│ Multistage │
│ Separation (S1,S2)│
└──────┬─────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ CO₂ Recycle Loop │
│ (H.E., Pump) │
└──────┬───────────┘
▼
┌──────────────┐
│ Filtration & │
│ Polishing │
└──────┬───────┘
▼
┌───────────────┐
│ Final Product │
│ Packaging │
└───────────────┘
IX. PRODUCTION CAPACITY (CESI PILOT & COMMERCIAL)
Pilot Line (5–10 L Extractor)
- Elemi oil: 0.5–1.5 kg/day
- Agarwood oil: 100–300 g/day
- Flowers: 50–200 g/day
Commercial Line (25–50 L Modular)
- Elemi oil: 4–10 kg/day
- Elemi resin absolute: 8–15 kg/day
- Agarwood oil: 1–3 kg/day
X. ESTIMATED INVESTMENT (CAPEX) – CESI-READY
| Equipment | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| 25–50 L SC-CO₂ extractor | $180,000–$350,000 |
| CO₂ compressor system | $60,000–$120,000 |
| Heat exchangers | $20,000–40,000 |
| Stainless vessels & lines | $30,000 |
| Fractionation separators | $20,000–50,000 |
| GC-MS + FTIR | $120,000–180,000 |
| Facility setup | $50,000–120,000 |
Total Estimated CAPEX: $450,000–800,000
If you’d like, I can also prepare:
✅ SC-CO₂ Engineering Schematic (full visual diagram)
✅ CESI SOP Manual (Standard Operating Procedures)
✅ Mass Balance + Energy Balance Calculations
✅ Financial Model (Yield → Revenue → ROI)
✅ PowerPoint Deck for CESI Investors
Just tell me which one you need next.
