Project Overview
- Client Location: Thailand
- Material: Centella Asiatica
- Target Fineness: D97 ≤ 10 μm
- Equipment Used: Epic Powder Fluidized Bed Jet Mill
Project Background
Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’ s major origins of herbal plants, and its cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries are experiencing rapidly growing demand for advanced Centella Asiatica pulverization and deep-processing. Recognized as a universal skin-healing herb, Centella extract is valued for its soothing, repairing, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The client is a well-known manufacturer of botanical extracts and natural cosmetic ingredients. To enhance the extraction efficiency of active compounds such as Asiaticoside and improve the absorption performance of final products, the client planned to increase the fineness of raw Centella powder—from traditional 200 mesh to a cell-wall-breaking ultrafine level, requiring particle size control at ≤ 10 μm.
The Challenge
Centella Asiatica is a fibrous and heat-sensitive material. Achieving ultrafine powder involves overcoming three major challenges:
Fiber Toughness
The stems and leaves contain high levels of plant fibers. Traditional mechanical mills (e.g., hammer mills) struggle to fully cut the fibers, resulting in floccules and making it difficult to reach micron-level fineness.
Heat Sensitivity
The active ingredients in Centella are extremely sensitive to temperature. Long-term mechanical grinding produces heat, causing oxidation, discoloration, or active compound degradation.
Strict Fine Classification Requirement
The client demanded D97 ≤ 10 μm, meaning all oversized particles must be removed. This requires exceptionally high classification accuracy.
Epic Powder‘s Solution
To address the customer’s concerns, Epic Powder’s engineering team recommended the Fluidized Bed Jet Mill system, customized for fibrous botanical materials.
Core Technical Advantages
Low-Temperature Pulverization:
Using high-pressure compressed air accelerated through Laval nozzles, particles collide at high speed inside the mill chamber.
- No mechanical grinding media
- Natural Joule–Thomson cooling
- Fully preserved color and bioactivity of Centella
Efficient Fiber Cutting:
The nozzle angles and airflow intensity were optimized to strengthen shear forces, enabling effective fiber cutting and achieving true cell-wall breaking.
High-Precision Classification System:
A horizontal turbo classifier wheel precisely controls particle size.
- Adjustable rotation speed via frequency inverter
- Fine powder (≤10 μm) collected efficiently
- Coarse particles automatically returned for further grinding
- Narrow particle-size distribution
Operating Results
After on-site calibration and continuous production testing, the system performed beyond expectations:
| Test Item | Customer Requirement | Epic Powder Result |
|---|---|---|
| Particle Size (D97) | ≤ 10 μm | 6.8–8.5 μm |
| Appearance Color | No burning or browning | Bright natural green |
| Powder Temperature | ≤ 45°C | Maintained at room temperature |
| Capacity | Must meet baseline | Exceeded by 15% |
Customer Feedback
The Thai customer gave highly positive feedback:
“The jet mill system significantly improved the quality and consistency of our Centella powder. The product is finer, more soluble, and easier to formulate. Epic Powder’s technical support is professional and responsive—definitely a reliable partner.”