We begin with our heartfelt gratitude to the 15th Aegis Graham Bell Awards for providing us with this incredible platform to showcase our innovation, the Dual-Stage Continuous Curcumin Extraction Process in Manufacturing innovation category. This prestigious event celebrates advancements that shape industries and drive societal impact. We sincerely thank the esteemed jury for their time, thoughtful engagement, and acknowledgment of groundbreaking work like ours.
This transformative research was proudly presented by Leedskem Business Solutions, with the dedicated leadership of Dr. Sharad Chaudhari as the Project Lead and key contributions from Abhishek Nirakhe and Gautam Chaudhari as research team members. Together, we embarked on a mission to solve long-standing challenges in curcumin production with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and scalability. Their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in creating an innovative solution that sets new benchmarks in the industry.
The Problem and Need for Innovation
Curcumin, a compound renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and therapeutic properties, is in high demand across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics industries. However, traditional extraction methods pose significant challenges:
- Lengthy Processes: Conventional methods take 5-7 days for extraction, relying on gravity-based separation and extensive post-processing.
- High Resource Consumption: Excessive use of energy, solvents, and water results in elevated costs and inefficiencies.
- Environmental Concerns: Wastewater generation and solvent losses contribute to environmental degradation.
- Economic Viability: Prolonged timelines and inefficiencies increase operational costs, limiting scalability.
Recognizing the need for a faster, more resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly solution, our team developed the Dual-Stage Continuous Extraction Process, designed to overcome these challenges while meeting the growing global demand for high-quality curcumin.
The Journey of Research
Our journey began with a clear goal: to create a curcumin extraction process that delivers purity, efficiency, and sustainability. The research involved 127 rigorous trials, experimenting with different solvents, temperatures, and extraction parameters. These trials were aimed at identifying the optimal conditions to achieve consistent quality and high recovery rates.
Dual-Stage Innovation:
- Stage 1: Oils and non-curcuminoid impurities are separated, laying the groundwork for a cleaner extraction process.
- Stage 2: Curcumin is isolated with minimal impurities, producing a high-purity, water-dispersible product suitable for diverse applications.
The process is complemented by a closed-loop solvent recovery system, achieving a remarkable 95-97% solvent reuse rate. This minimizes waste and reduces operational costs. Sustainability was prioritized by integrating systems for water recycling and sewage treatment, ensuring a zero-discharge setup.
Batch vs. Continuous Comparison
The Dual-Stage Continuous Process offers unparalleled benefits compared to conventional batch extraction methods:
- Efficiency:
- Traditional batch methods take 5-7 days, while our process completes in just 20 hours, significantly boosting productivity.
- Purity and Recovery:
- Batch processes rely on gravity separation over several days, which can compromise purity and yields.
- The dual-stage process isolates oils and impurities in Stage 1, achieving 97-98% recovery rates with superior purity.
- Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery:
- Batch processes recover limited amounts of alcohol, leading to higher costs and environmental impact.
- The closed-loop system in our process ensures minimal solvent losses and reduces operational costs.
- Environmental Impact:
- Traditional methods generate significant wastewater and emissions.
- Our process eliminates wastewater generation, recycles water, and reduces emissions by 40%, aligning with sustainability goals.
- Cost-Effectiveness:
- Batch processes incur high operational costs due to prolonged timelines.
- Our process delivers curcumin at compatible market rate, ensuring global competitiveness.
Validation of the process through pilot testing confirmed 97-98% recovery rates for curcumin and oils. Commercial scalability was ensured, with a 3 TPD turmeric feed plant set to begin operations in Maharashtra by January 2025.
The Dual-Stage Continuous Extraction Process delivers profound impact across key areas:
- High Quality:
- Produces high-purity curcumin, suitable for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods.
- Ensures water-dispersible curcumin, enhancing bioavailability for nutraceutical applications.
- Resource Efficiency:
- Reduces extraction time to 20 hours, significantly improving productivity.
- Minimizes solvent and water usage through closed-loop systems.
- Environmental Sustainability:
- Generates no wastewater; all water is treated and reused.
- Reduces carbon emissions by 38%, contributing to sustainability goals and potential carbon credits.
- Cost-Effectiveness:
- Achieves market competitive production costs, making it competitive in global markets.
- Offers excellent ROI by optimizing resource use and reducing waste.
This innovation not only benefits manufacturers but also supports farmer welfare by ensuring a steady demand for high-quality turmeric rhizomes. It also introduces sustainable farming practices and partnerships with banks like SAFL to provide financial assistance for farmers.
As we conclude, we extend our best wishes to the 15th Aegis Graham Bell Awards organizing team for their tireless efforts in celebrating innovation. This platform fosters creativity and collaboration, inspiring transformative ideas across industries. We also congratulate all fellow participants for their remarkable contributions. Together, we are shaping a future defined by excellence, sustainability, and impact.
Thank you once again for this opportunity to showcase our work and share our vision.
