1000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System
An industrial-scale aerosol extraction system for very high-volume, room-temperature, residue-free processing of any botanical.
COMERG • Thyme extraction
Sweet Thyme
Thymus vulgaris L. ct. geraniol
Turn thyme into a softer, sweeter food-grade extract with COMERG equipment. This is the geraniol chemotype of thyme, rosy and rounded rather than sharply medicinal. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process captures that gentler character intact, without the heat that flattens it.
Geraniol chemotype, the gentle, rose-sweet side of thyme
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21% geraniol
The herb
Not the thyme you expect
Common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, comes in several chemotypes, plants of the same species that build different oils depending on where and how they grow. Most thyme on the market is the hot, medicinal thymol type. This one is the geraniol chemotype, sometimes called sweet thyme, where rosy, gently citrus geraniol leads the profile.
The result is a thyme that is rounder and softer on the nose, the herbal backbone still there in the thymol and carvacrol underneath, but lifted by a sweet, floral top. It is harvested as stems, milled and processed cold so that delicate geraniol is never driven off.
Raw material
Botanical nameThymus vulgaris L.
ChemotypeGeraniol
FamilyLamiaceae
Plant partStems
OriginBulgaria
AvailabilityAll year
The extract
What the process delivers
Run on COMERG equipment, thyme stems yield a standardised, true-to-chemotype extract, batch after batch. The cold, solvent-light cycle is what keeps the rosy geraniol top in balance with the herbal phenols underneath, rather than cooking it away. The figures below are typical of a standardised BThy-50.1 grade.
≥50%Volatile oil v/w
21%Geraniol
0.23DPPH IC50 mg/ml
<25 °CExtraction temp
97%Compound recovery
~375 kgHerb per kg extract
The method
Cold extraction, in three steps
No heat, no leftover solvent. This is what happens inside a COMERG aerosol system, and why the chemotype stays true in the bottle.
1
Pressurised R134a flooding
Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the milled thyme at controlled, low pressure. There is no heat, the cycle begins and stays at room temperature.
2
Selective aromatic dissolution
The liquid gas gently dissolves the geraniol, the geranyl acetate and the herbal phenols together, so the sweet top and the savoury base come across in their natural ratio.
3
Recovery and pure extract
The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated thyme extract, at least 50% volatile oil, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.
Aromatic profile
A profile led by geraniol
This is what marks the chemotype out. In a standard thyme, thymol would top the chart. Here geraniol leads, with geranyl acetate and linalool adding to the sweet, rounded character, and thymol and carvacrol giving the herbal depth. Principal constituents above 1%.
0%10%15%21%+
Other extractables present. Per-batch GC-MS report available on request.
Specification
BThy-50.1 at a glance
Identity & origin
Botanical nameThymus vulgaris L.
Plant partStems
OriginBulgaria
Product codeBThy-50.1
CAS No.84929-51-1
EINECS No.284-535-7
Production
MethodLiquefied-gas extraction
TemperatureBelow 25 °C
SolventFood-grade (Dir. 97/60/EC)
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kg
StandardisationDeclared volatile oil
Concentration1 kg ≈ 350-400 kg herb
Physical
AppearanceDark green viscous liquid
Volatile oil50-55% v/w (ASTA)
INCI nameThymus Vulgaris Extract
Density950 g/l
Refractive index1.4922
Acid value11.9 mg KOH/g
Solubility & output
In oilsFully soluble
In 40% alcoholPartial
In waterInsoluble
Flash point> 61 °C
TransportDangerous good (ADR)
Shelf life2 years
Why this thyme, why cold
A gentle chemotype, captured whole
A rare chemotype
Thymus vulgaris ct. geraniol, Bulgaria
Lead compoundGeraniol, not thymol
Herb per kg extract~350-400 kg
Volatile oil≥ 50% v/w
AntioxidantDPPH IC50 0.23 mg/ml
Captured cold
Versus steam distillation
GeraniolRosy top kept
Thymol, carvacrolBalanced, not harsh
Process temperature< 25 °C
Chemotype ratioPreserved
Applications
What you can make
Food & flavour
Meat & savoury
Fine perfumery
Skincare & cosmetics
Natural antioxidant
Home fragrance
The softer geraniol profile makes this thyme easier to work into delicate formulas than a sharp thymol oil. The extract can be taken concentrated or diluted in a carrier oil to suit the application. Typical filling rates for the concentrated extract in food are 1 to 100 mg per kilogram of product.
Why the COMERG line
Built to keep a chemotype true
The balance that makes this thyme special is fragile, and prolonged heat is what usually breaks it. Our line is engineered around the things that matter when the exact ratio of compounds is the product.
Room temperatureR134a aerosol extraction works cold and at low pressure, so the delicate, volatile geraniol top is never driven off.
True to the chemotypeThe natural ratio of geraniol to thymol and carvacrol comes through unchanged, so the extract really is sweet thyme.
Fully automatedClosed-loop systems run the cycle for you, so results stay consistent and one operator can handle the line.
Fast cycles, high yieldLow-pressure extraction is quick and recovers up to 97% of the herb's compounds, more than older high-pressure CO2 lines.
Scales with youFrom a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production, the same method grows from R&D batches to full output.
Clean and economicalIt uses around 85% less energy than solvent methods and needs no special hazardous-location facility.
Why it wins
Compared to the alternatives
Against steam distillation, solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction keeps the chemotype intact, with a clean, true result.
| Feature | COMERG R134a | Steam distillation | Solvent | CO₂ supercritical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process temperature | < 25 °C (room temp) | 100-150 °C | 40-70 °C | 31-80 °C |
| Aromatic preservation | 95%+ | 60-75% | ~85% | ~80% |
| Compound recovery | up to 97% | 70-85% | 80-90% | 85-92% |
| Geraniol top note | Kept in balance | Partly lost to heat | Retained | Mostly retained |
| Solvent residue | < 0.1 g/kg | None | Needs post-purge | None |
| Energy use | 85% less vs solvent | High | Medium-high | Very high |
| Special facility | Not required | Not required | Required | High-pressure safety |
From herb to extract
The machines for thyme
A complete COMERG line takes thyme from raw herb to a finished extract. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.
Aerosol extraction
The heart of the line. Liquefied-gas systems that pull thyme oil cold, below 25 °C, from 10 l pilot units up to 2000 l.
Room temp • 97% recoveryView system
Botanical harvester
Cuts and prepares the thyme cleanly before drying and milling, so the herb reaches the extractor at its aromatic peak.
Prep stageView machine
The complete herb line
From a 10 l pilot system to industrial 2000 l lines, the same cold process scales with your volume.
10 l - 2000 lBrowse all equipment
Product specificationFull composition, properties, packaging and handling for thyme extract BThy-50.1.
Download PDF
Questions
Thyme extraction, explained
A 100% natural thyme extract, product code BThy-50.1, from the geraniol chemotype of Thymus vulgaris. It reaches at least 50% volatile oil, led by around 21% geraniol, with no additives.
Thyme of the same species can build different oils depending on where it grows. This batch is the geraniol type, sweeter and rosier than the common thymol type, which makes it gentler to formulate with while keeping thyme's herbal character.
Liquefied food-grade gas extraction at room temperature, below 25 °C, and low pressure. Because there is no high heat, the delicate aromatic compounds are preserved and solvent residue stays below 0.1 g/kg.
Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 350 to 400 kg of dried, milled thyme.
Yes. The same cold process runs from a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production systems, so you can start small and grow without changing method.
It is produced with a food-grade solvent per Directive 97/60/EC. It is a raw material for formulation, not intended for direct consumption or undiluted topical use, and users are responsible for compliance with applicable legislation.
Yes. A per-batch GC-MS analysis is available on request, and a Safety Data Sheet per 2006/1907/EC is supplied with the product.
Set up your thyme line
Tell us your throughput and target product. We will recommend the right system, share a yield estimate for your thyme, and reply with pricing and lead time, usually within 48 hours.
COMERG extracts are raw materials for product formulation. They are not intended for direct consumption or for undiluted topical application in cosmetics, perfumery or aromatherapy. This information is provided to the best of our knowledge and is not a substitute for prior testing of suitability for the intended use. Keep away from children.
The thyme line
Equipment for processing thyme
The machines below make up the thyme line, the equipment that takes the herb through to a finished extract. Request a quote on any unit and we will reply with pricing and lead time.
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