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Application of MVR Technology in the Concentration of Traditional Chinese Medicines
Traditional Chinese medicine is a time-honored form of healthcare in China, and the use of herbal remedies for disease prevention and treatment has a long history in the country. In the production of TCM preparations, the concentration process is a crucial step. No The number of process steps can be reduced, whereas conventional evaporation, distillation, and concentration units are highly energy‑intensive, with energy costs accounting for a substantial share of their operating expenses. Consequently, reducing the specific energy consumption per unit of concentration is crucial for lowering overall operating costs. MVR equipment can replace traditional single‑effect and multi‑effect evaporators, significantly cutting production energy use and markedly reducing a company’s operating expenses.
An MVR evaporator utilizes electrical energy to generate mechanical energy, enabling 100% recovery of the latent heat from secondary steam and thereby significantly reducing the consumption of fresh steam in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concentration processes. MVR evaporators are primarily categorized into three types: MVR tubular thin‑film evaporators, MVR tubular forced‑circulation evaporators, and MVR plate evaporators. For TCM concentration, tubular thin‑film evaporators are predominantly employed. These thin‑film evaporators offer several advantages, including short residence times for the feed liquid, minimal pressure drop, high heat transfer coefficients, high steam utilization efficiency, resistance to fouling, ease of cleaning, and a broad operational range for feed liquids—particularly suitable for TCM extracts with viscosities ranging from 50 to 400 mPa·s. The following diagram illustrates a typical thin‑film evaporation process flow:
MVR Falling-Film Evaporator Flow Diagram
MVR falling-film evaporator
When using an MVR evaporator to concentrate traditional Chinese medicine extracts, certain requirements must be met. First, the extract’s specific gravity and viscosity are subject to specific limits; viscosity significantly affects the performance of the MVR evaporator, as high viscosity can lead to liquid‑downflow blockages, scaling, and uneven film formation. The viscosity of the extract generally increases with rising specific gravity and also varies with temperature. Second, batch‑size considerations apply: MVR evaporators are best suited for applications involving fewer than three batches per day.
In addition to the viscosity mentioned above, the suitability of an MVR evaporator is also influenced by other physical properties of the traditional Chinese medicine extract, including its specific gravity, solids content, and temperature.
MVR evaporators are highly versatile; however, when aiming to achieve the desired specific gravity for concentration, it is essential to consider the physical properties of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extract and integrate these characteristics with the MVR evaporator’s operational parameters. In particular, TCM formulations represent a highly complex system of chemical constituents, and their intricate composition significantly influences viscosity. When viscosity exceeds 400 mPa·s, the applicability of MVR thin‑film evaporators becomes limited; in such cases, an MVR forced‑circulation evaporator may be a viable alternative. Therefore, leveraging the unique physical properties of TCM extracts and selecting an appropriate operating temperature are critical factors for successfully concentrating TCM extracts using MVR evaporators.
At present, China faces an energy shortage, and the cost of energy consumption is steadily rising. The advantages of MVR evaporation equipment have been increasingly recognized and promoted within the industry. With the guidance of national policies and advances in technology, MVR technology is poised to see even broader application in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concentration, playing a crucial role in enhancing production efficiency, reducing enterprise energy consumption, and protecting the environment.
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