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Explore our core single-stage evaporator product lines, purpose-built for botanical extraction and essential oil concentration applications.
A single stage evaporator is a thermal separation system that concentrates liquid solutions by evaporating water or solvent in a single evaporation chamber under controlled temperature and pressure conditions. Unlike multi-effect systems, the single-stage design offers a streamlined, cost-effective, and highly controllable process — making it the preferred choice for small-to-medium scale herbal extract and essential oil production facilities worldwide.
In the context of herbal extract and essential oil production, the evaporator serves as a critical processing unit. After initial extraction (via steam distillation, solvent extraction, cold pressing, or supercritical CO₂ methods), the resulting liquid mixture must be concentrated to remove excess solvents, water, or ethanol, yielding a potent, stable, and market-ready botanical concentrate or essential oil.
The single stage evaporator excels in this role due to its gentle low-temperature operation, which preserves the delicate volatile compounds, terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other bioactive molecules that define the therapeutic and commercial value of herbal extracts and essential oils.
The industrial application of single stage evaporators in herbal extract and essential oil production has grown substantially over the past decade. Manufacturers across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East are increasingly investing in dedicated evaporation infrastructure to meet the surging global demand for botanical ingredients.
In China alone — the world's largest producer and exporter of herbal extracts — thousands of extraction facilities rely on single-stage evaporation systems for daily production. Key commercial segments include:
Modern single stage evaporators increasingly operate under deep vacuum conditions (as low as -0.095 MPa), reducing boiling points to 40–60°C. This is critical for heat-sensitive essential oils and botanical actives that degrade above 70°C, ensuring maximum preservation of bioactive compounds and aromatic integrity.
Industry 4.0 integration is transforming evaporator operations. Modern systems feature PLC-controlled automation, real-time Brix/concentration monitoring, automated CIP (Clean-in-Place) systems, and remote diagnostics — reducing labor costs and ensuring batch-to-batch consistency essential for GMP-compliant pharmaceutical and nutraceutical production.
Single stage evaporators are increasingly paired with waste heat recovery systems, using secondary steam from other plant processes as the primary energy source. This dramatically reduces operational costs and carbon footprint — a key consideration for sustainability-focused manufacturers and ESG compliance.
Growing regulatory requirements (FDA, EU GMP, GACP) are driving demand for pharmaceutical-grade evaporator designs featuring sanitary-polished stainless steel (316L), full drainability, CIP/SIP compatibility, and documentation packages for validation. Single stage evaporators are evolving to meet these stringent standards.
The versatility of single stage evaporators makes them indispensable across a wide spectrum of botanical processing applications. Below we explore the most commercially significant use cases in depth:
After steam distillation or solvent extraction, essential oil-water mixtures are processed through single stage evaporators to remove residual water and light solvents. Vacuum operation at 45–55°C preserves the full aromatic profile of lavender, rose, jasmine, and citrus oils, meeting the purity standards demanded by premium fragrance and aromatherapy brands.
Traditional Chinese herbal decoctions — used in granule, tablet, and liquid medicine production — require precise concentration to standardized extract ratios (typically 1:5 to 1:20). Single stage evaporators with gentle agitation prevent scorching of heat-sensitive glycosides, polysaccharides, and alkaloids, maintaining therapeutic potency and meeting pharmacopoeial specifications.
High-value plant actives such as curcuminoids, anthocyanins, quercetin, and CBD extracts are concentrated using single stage evaporators with solvent recovery capabilities. The recovered ethanol or other extraction solvents are recycled, significantly reducing production costs and environmental impact for nutraceutical manufacturers.
Skincare and cosmetic brands increasingly demand standardized botanical extracts with precise active concentrations. Single stage evaporators enable the production of concentrated aloe vera, green tea, chamomile, and calendula extracts with consistent Brix values and bioactive content — essential for reproducible cosmetic formulation.
The food industry's shift toward clean-label, natural ingredients has created strong demand for concentrated botanical flavorings and colorants. Single stage evaporators process fruit juices, spice extracts, and herb infusions at low temperatures, preserving color, flavor, and nutritional value while achieving the high Brix levels required for commercial food applications.
Many pharmaceutical active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) derived from botanical sources — including morphine, quinine, vincristine, and taxol precursors — require evaporation steps during isolation and purification. Single stage evaporators with precise temperature control and GMP-compliant design are critical tools in pharmaceutical botanical API manufacturing.
Compared to multi-effect systems, single stage evaporators offer distinct advantages that make them particularly well-suited for herbal extract and essential oil production:
The future of single stage evaporation in herbal extract and essential oil production is being shaped by several converging forces. The global push for sustainability is accelerating adoption of heat pump-assisted evaporation systems that dramatically reduce steam consumption. Digital twin technology is enabling virtual commissioning and predictive maintenance of evaporation systems, reducing downtime and optimizing performance.
Modular, skid-mounted single stage evaporator designs are gaining popularity among contract manufacturers and brands seeking rapid deployment flexibility. Meanwhile, advances in membrane-assisted evaporation and hybrid separation technologies are expanding the performance envelope of single-stage systems, enabling higher concentration ratios while maintaining product quality.
As consumer demand for traceable, sustainably produced botanical ingredients continues to grow, manufacturers who invest in advanced, energy-efficient evaporation technology will be best positioned to capture premium market opportunities in functional foods, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and luxury cosmetics.
Leading manufacturer of concentration, drying, and evaporation equipment for botanical and industrial applications
Jiangsu Zongheng Concentration & Drying Equipment Co., Ltd. (formerly Yixing Yangxi Light Industry Machinery Factory), founded in 1992, is located in Zhoutie Town, Yixing City, on the shores of the beautiful Taihu Lake. The company covers an area of over 54,000 square meters, with a production workshop area of over 22,000 square meters.
Jiangsu Zongheng is a modern high-tech enterprise specializing in the manufacturing of concentration, drying, starch industry, alcohol DDGS, and Category III medium & low-pressure vessel equipment. It is currently a member enterprise of the China Starch and Alcohol Association. Its products are widely used in industries such as food fermentation, alcohol, chemical, pharmaceutical, environmental protection, and petrochemical.
The company's other main products include Tube Bundle Dryers, with design and manufacturing capabilities reaching 1600m² (making it a primary manufacturer of large tube bundle dryers). Other main products such as Single Screw Fiber & Germ Dehydrators and Wash Cyclones are recognized as high-quality products by starch manufacturers and the industry. High-quality products and a sincere service attitude have won consistent praise and trust from numerous users at home and abroad, fully demonstrating the company's first-class technical advantages and manufacturing capabilities for large-scale equipment.
Jiangsu Zongheng is always committed to exploration and innovation. Through years of sincere effort and user support, it has achieved sustained development. Main products include evaporation plants, comprising Multi-Effect Evaporators, Thermal Vapor Recompressors (TVR), Waste Heat Evaporators, and Mechanical Vapor Recompressors (MVR, achieving minimal unit energy consumption). These are widely used for liquid concentration, including distillates, alcohol stillage, ammonium sulfate, corn steep liquor, itaconic acid, threonine, starch sugar, sorbitol, glucose, fructose, trehalose, erythritol, organic wastewater, high-salinity wastewater, etc., making the company one of the domestic manufacturers with the most extensive product variety.
In March 2002, the company took the lead in obtaining ISO9001:2015 international quality system certification (Certificate No.: 45021), establishing a complete quality assurance system aligned with international standards. In July 2007, it became a Jiangsu Provincial High-Tech Enterprise. In April 2009, the company obtained the Special Equipment Manufacturing License of the People's Republic of China (License No.: TS2232C42). In August 2012, it acquired the ASME "U" Stamp authorization, marking the company's entry into a new phase of development. The company possesses strong R&D capabilities and advanced manufacturing processes, currently employing over 3 senior engineers and more than 20 engineers and assistant engineers. Multiple innovative technologies have been patented, and many products hold leading positions domestically.
The company currently holds an absolutely leading position in evaporation technology and has extensive cooperation with many renowned large domestic group companies, including Zhuofeng Biology, Meihua Group, Yufeng Group, Yihai Kerry, North China Pharmaceutical Group, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, Shouguang Juneng, Qilu Pharmaceutical, Qiyuan Pharmaceutical, Xiwang Group, Shengtai Biology, Zhejiang Huakang, Kelun Pharmaceutical (Yili), and Shandong Tianli.
Our full lineup of industrial evaporation solutions — engineered for botanical, pharmaceutical, food, and chemical processing industries.
While meeting domestic market demand, the company's DDGS alcohol equipment and tube bundle dryer series products have been exported to Russia and Southeast Asian markets. We are capable of providing professional technical support and after-sales service nationwide for our vast user base. High-quality products and their unique solutions not only enhance our corporate economic benefits but also bring us satisfaction by solving processing challenges for our clients.
We warmly welcome friends from various industries, both domestic and international, to visit us for cooperation and mutual development!
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