Artemisinin crystal washing, filtration and drying machine

Artemisinin is a new type of antimalarial drug isolated from the Artemisia annua plant. It is characterized by low toxicity, high efficiency and rapid effect. It is replacing quinine and other therapeutic drugs and becoming the main force in the fight against malaria. It is in short supply in the international market. There are mainly three problems in the process of extracting artemisinin from the plant Artemisia argyi:

(1) The content of cyanoin in yellow pole is not high, generally ranging from 0.1% to 0.6%, and the natural resources of yellow pole are not very abundant.

(2) Artemisinin is an intracellular product. During extraction, artemisinin is released from the cells and diffuses into the extraction medium relatively slowly, which affects the extraction rate and increases the operation cost.

(3) Artemisinin is unstable to heat and readily decomposes when exposed to heat.

Therefore, the key to extracting and separating artemisinin from yellow tangerine lies in the following three points: how to maximize the extraction rate or utilization rate of Artemisinin and make full use of the precious limited resources; how to enhance mass transfer, shorten the extraction cycle, thereby reducing production costs and improving economic benefits; and how to avoid or reduce the heating process of artemisinin and prevent its thermal decomposition.

Analysis of the conventional Refining Process of artemisinin

The crude artemisinin was placed in an alcohol sedimentation tank and dissolved in ~ 95% ethanol, then left to stand. The supernatant was precisely filtered, and the filtrate was concentrated in a concentration tank. The concentrated liquid was then placed in a crystallization tank and left to stand at room temperature for natural crystallization. After the crystallization was completed, the mother liquor was filtered out by suction to obtain crystals. The crystals were vacuum dried to obtain the refined artemisinin.

The conventional refining process for high-purity artemisinin is as follows: crystallization in a crystallization tank → solid-liquid separation by centrifuge (or solid-liquid separation by filter)→ cleaning in a washing tank → vacuum filtration → drying in a double-cone rotary vacuum dryer (or vacuum drying oven)→ manual discharge. This method not only has a cumbersome process and a low product yield, resulting in a waste of resources, but also the solvent oil is highly flammable and explosive, posing significant safety issues. In addition, the extensive loss of organic solvents not only increases production costs but also causes significant pollution to the environment. Therefore, a simple, efficient, low-cost and green extraction, separation and purification process is the development trend of high-purity artemisinin production.

The application of medical-grade filtration, washing and drying machines in the crystal washing and low-temperature drying process of high-purity artemisinin raw materials

In the current low-temperature drying operation of artemisinin raw materials for crystal washing, multiple manual transfers of crystal-containing materials are encountered, which can easily cause cross-contamination and safety and environmental protection issues, making it difficult to meet GMP requirements. Wuxi Sungrui Machinery has integrated the crystal washing and low-temperature drying processes of high-purity artemisinin raw materials, making breakthroughs on the basis of inheriting the traditional essence. Starting from equipment reform, integrate its processes to form an overall process equipment solution for crystallization and drying. Starting from simplifying the process, the filtration, washing and drying processes are combined on one machine to complete, reducing the number of process transfers. Starting from the aspects of automation, washability and sterilization, improvements should be made to make the overall process more suitable for the production of high-purity artemisinin apis.

Features of the special medical-grade filtration, washing and drying machine for crystal washing and low-temperature drying of high-purity artemisinin raw materials

(1) To carry out continuous operation throughout the entire process of filtration, washing and drying in the same container;

(2) Operate under pressure or vacuum to achieve solid-liquid separation;

(3) During filtration, the filter cake is evenly distributed and the solid-liquid separation effect is good.

(4) The lifting of the hydraulic control stirring system maximizes the space for solid materials during filtration.

(5) The lifting and stirring of the stirring blades ensure that the filter cake and the cleaning liquid are thoroughly mixed during cleaning, and the filter cake is thoroughly washed.

(6) It greatly reduces the drying time and improves efficiency.

(7) The liquid outlet valve is equipped with multiple controls, and the solid discharge system automatically discharges materials, reducing labor intensity.

(8) It can be cleaned and sterilized online. The entire operation can be carried out under inert gas protection, which is safe and reliable.

(9) The filter bottom plate is detachable, which facilitates thorough cleaning of the equipment and is suitable for the production of sterile active pharmaceutical ingredients.

(10) Fully comply with the production requirements of GMP and FDA;

Photos of the special medical-grade filtration, washing and drying machine for crystal washing and low-temperature drying of high-purity artemisinin raw materials