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Aloe Vera Processing and Extraction Plant
Specialty African Botanical & Natural Ingredients

Aloe Vera Processing and Extraction Plant

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Blue shell-and-tube condenser mounted above a stainless-steel vessel with a hinged lid, with a vapour line rising to the left

Aloe Vera Processing and Extraction Plant

Purity Levels

Gel and juice to the buyer's specification; concentrated powder up to 200:1 (200X)

Extraction Technologies

Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE)Enzyme-Assisted Extraction (EAE)

An aloe vera plant turns fresh leaves (Aloe barbadensis Miller) into gel, juice, concentrate or dried powder, or isolates acemannan, the polysaccharide of interest, from the inner leaf. Cut leaves are normally taken to the extraction facility quickly, to limit contamination and enzymatic oxidation of the gel, so the plant is sized around how much clean leaf can reach the gate each day rather than around a nameplate figure. Four points need settling before sizing: the product form (gel, juice, concentrate, powder or an acemannan fraction), the grade and end market (food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical), the daily leaf supply and how it varies through the season, and the utilities available on site. The line is then described in three blocks: leaf handling and filleting, gel clarification with aloin removal, and concentration or drying. For the acemannan target the two routes are Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) and Enzyme-Assisted Extraction (EAE), and the choice is confirmed during process development. For the wider range of botanical lines, see [herbal extraction plants](/products/herbal-extraction-plant) and the [specialty African botanical ingredients](/products/category/specialty-african-botanical-natural-ingredients) category.

Aloe gel is mostly water: a colourless gel containing under 2% solids, so the engineering task is to separate gel from rind quickly and take out the aloin-bearing latex before any heat is applied. Most of the aloin sits in the outer layer of the leaf, so mechanical filleting that removes the rind limits how much latex enters the gel stream, and food-grade adsorption (activated carbon is the usual medium, in a step known as decolourisation) removes aloin and colour to leave a clear, stable liquid. Product-contact parts are SS 304 / SS 316L and can be cleaned in place; control can be specified anywhere from manual to fully automatic PLC-SCADA. Capacity, product forms and automation are fixed after the buyer's leaf supply and target market are known.

Key Specification Inputs

Extraction solvent/water, extraction stages, batch time, filtration and recovery.

Technical Specifications

Plant typeAloe vera leaf processing and extraction line
SpeciesAloe barbadensis Miller
FeedFresh leaves, with the inner leaf (gel fillet) separated from the rind
Target compoundAcemannan
Product formsGel, juice, concentrate, and spray- or freeze-dried powder
Concentration ratioPowder up to 200:1 (200X); gel and juice set to the buyer's specification
Extraction routes (acemannan)SWE and EAE
Gel recovery principleMechanical filleting and cold recovery, so oxidation is kept low
Aloin and colour removalFood-grade adsorption of the yellow latex compound (aloin)
Wetted materialsSS 304 / SS 316L, suited to clean-in-place cleaning
ClarificationStaged filtration
ConcentrationLow-temperature vacuum evaporator, supplied where a concentrate is wanted
DryingSpray dryer or freeze dryer, supplied where a powder is wanted
Control levelManual, semi-automatic or fully automatic PLC-SCADA with recipes, as specified
ScaleSet by leaf supply, from a pilot line to 20,000+ kg of fresh leaves per day
Utilities to confirmSteam, chilled and cooling water, compressed air, soft and purified water, and power; all project-specific
Finished formLiquid gel or juice, concentrate, or free-flowing powder

Plant Capacities

Plant ScaleRaw Material ThroughputTypical Use
PilotMatched to your leaf source and trial planChecking product quality and process settings on your own leaf
Semi-CommercialSized between pilot and commercial scaleToll processing and scale-up runs
Commercial20,000+ kg fresh leaves/dayRoutine production once buyer volume is confirmed

Throughput follows the leaf that can be supplied and the volume a buyer has committed to. A pilot line is advised before scaling, so that process settings are proven on the actual leaf.

Typical Process Route

Each extraction method follows a different process — pick a method to see its steps.

1

Leaf preparation

Inner leaf is separated, washed and cut down so that the extraction medium can reach the acemannan. Cut size and moisture are fixed in process development.

2

Loading the pressure vessel

Prepared inner leaf and water are charged into an extraction vessel rated for the operating pressure.

3

Subcritical water stage

Water is held liquid under pressure at raised temperature and used to extract acemannan without any organic solvent. Temperature and hold time are fixed in process development and checked against the acemannan assay.

4

Solids removal

Spent leaf material is taken out by filtration or centrifuge, and the liquid is clarified ahead of concentration.

5

Water removal

The clear aqueous extract is concentrated by vacuum evaporation or membranes where needed. This route uses water only.

6

Recovery, adjustment and drying

The acemannan fraction is recovered from the concentrate by a method chosen in process development and checked against the target specification. Drying behaviour is tested on trial material before a dryer is fixed.

Major Plant Equipment

  • Leaf washer (conveyor and bubble type)
  • Sorting and trimming tables
  • Filleting machine for gel and rind separation
  • Gel recovery unit
  • Stainless-steel holding and collection tanks
  • Adsorption columns for aloin and colour removal
  • Staged filtration train
  • Plate heat exchanger and pasteuriser
  • Low-temperature vacuum evaporator
  • Spray dryer or freeze dryer
  • Product storage tanks and aseptic filler
  • Clean-in-place (CIP) skid
  • PLC-SCADA controls, motor control centre and instruments

Plant Output

Aloe vera gelAloe vera juiceAloe vera concentrateSpray-dried aloe vera powder (up to 200:1 / 200X)Freeze-dried aloe vera powder

Applications

  • Nutraceutical and supplement ingredients
  • Beverages and functional drinks
  • Cosmetic and personal-care actives
  • Pharmaceutical formulations
  • Food ingredients and processing
  • Ingredient supply to export buyers, to their own specifications

Key Features

  • Filleting that keeps latex out

    Automated or semi-automatic filleting parts the inner gel from the rind, which limits how much aloin (yellow latex) enters the gel stream.

  • Aloin and colour removal

    A food-grade adsorption stage removes aloin and pigments to give a clear, stabilised aloe liquid.

  • Cleanable stainless-steel build

    Wetted surfaces in SS 304 / SS 316L allow clean-in-place cleaning.

  • Recipe control and batch records

    PLC-SCADA recipes record pasteurisation, batch identity and production reports, and the control level can run from manual to fully automatic.

  • Several product forms from one line

    Matched concentration, spray drying and freeze drying let one plant make gel, juice, concentrate or powder up to 200:1 (200X).

Country Pages for Aloe Vera Processing and Extraction Plant

This product is listed on the pages of the countries below, each with its own enquiry route. Where Kadali has no office in a country, enquiries are handled from the Accra office.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is an aloe vera processing plant for, and what should be settled first?
It suits processors with a dependable supply of fresh leaf, such as estate growers, out-grower schemes and ingredient manufacturers. Settle the product form (gel, juice, concentrate, powder or an acemannan fraction), the target grade and end market, the daily leaf volume across the season, and the utilities on site. Those answers are the starting point for outlining a line; see the process engineering service for how a project brief is shaped.
Which products can the line make?
Gel, juice and concentrate, plus spray-dried or freeze-dried powder with a concentration ratio up to 200:1 (200X). Which of these is worth building depends on the market, and the grade (food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical) is agreed with the buyer before equipment is chosen.
How do I choose between a gel line and an acemannan extraction route?
A gel or juice line keeps the whole liquid fraction of the inner leaf and mainly needs good filleting, aloin removal and stabilisation. An acemannan route aims at one polysaccharide, so it adds an extraction stage (SWE or EAE), recovery and a standardisation check. Neither route has a fixed yield or purity: trials on your leaf decide which one holds up.
How should aloe leaves be handled in hot conditions before they reach the plant?
Cut leaves are taken to the extraction facility quickly, to limit contamination and enzymatic oxidation of the gel, so in hot conditions shade, ventilated crates, short transport and prompt washing matter more than any single machine. Leaf should be cut cleanly, kept off the ground and processed soon after harvest. A buyer's intake plan, including how many hours leaf may wait, should be written before the line is sized.
Why is aloin removed, and how?
Aloin is a laxative-type anthraquinone carried in the yellow latex of the outer leaf. Producers of aloe for ingestion typically remove the outer layer, so the plant first limits latex at the filleting stage and then passes the liquid over food-grade adsorption media such as activated carbon. The aloin limit that applies is set by the market the product is sold into.
Should powder be made by spray drying or freeze drying?
Spray drying passes the product through hot air and may need a carrier such as maltodextrin; freeze drying avoids hot air. Spray drying can be competitive with freeze drying for powder quality on plant extracts, so the choice belongs to trials on your own concentrate, weighing powder quality against cost and the carrier content the buyer will accept. See the spray dryer page and the industrial drying and dehydration service for drying options.
What drives steam, water and power demand?
Most of the demand comes from removing water: concentration under vacuum and drying use steam and cooling or chilled water, while washing and clean-in-place use large volumes of clean water. Aloe is mostly water, so the thermal duty rises quickly with throughput. A vacuum evaporator is the main item to size against the available boiler and cooling capacity.
What should be prepared before asking for a technical proposal?
Gather the leaf source and variety, expected daily volume by season, target products and grade, the market the product will be sold into, the utilities and water quality at the site, available floor area, and a plan for rind and spent fibre. If sample leaf can be tested, say so. A pilot line is advised before the plant is scaled.
Does a pharmaceutical or nutraceutical grade change the plant?
The process route is the same, but the grade changes how the line is built and run: tighter cleaning routines and batch records, closer control of aloin and microbial load, and a closed aseptic finish. Settle the target grade before design rather than after. The nutraceutical and pharmaceutical solutions service covers projects of that kind.
Is a pilot trial recommended?
Yes. Small trials on your own leaf measure recovery, selectivity, water use, product quality and cleaning behaviour before pilot and commercial sizes are fixed. Capacity is then configured to the supply and the volume the buyer has committed to.

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