UAE RFQ Checklist: Inputs Needed for Accurate Quotation

A) Material & product requirements (must-have)

1. Material type and description

   • botanical/biomass name

   • form: cut / powder / slurry / paste

   • moisture content (% if known)

2. Target compounds / product goal

   • what you want to extract (e.g., phenolics, flavonoids, caffeine, curcumin, polysaccharides, pigments)

   • what you want to avoid (chlorophyll, waxes, bitterness, gums)

3. Final product form

   • liquid extract / thick concentrate / powder

   • key quality specs: color, odor, assay target, impurity limits

B) Solvent system & selectivity constraints (must-have)

4. Solvent system

   • water only, ethanol-water ratio, or other solvent (if allowed)

   • solvent restrictions (food grade / regulatory limits / site policy)

5. Selectivity preference

   • maximize yield (exhaustive) OR prioritize “clean extract” (less pigment/wax)

   • any known issues: too green, too bitter, too viscous, poor filtration

If your biggest issue is selectivity, this page is often the missing piece:
ethanol-water ratio for herbal extraction

C) Throughput and operating mode (must-have)

6. Throughput target

   • kg/day (dry basis if possible) or L/h extract flow

   • operating hours/day and batches/day

7. Preferred operating mode

   • batch (tank)

   • recirculation loop

   • continuous / flow-through

8. Batch size (if batch/loop)

   • solids per batch (kg)

   • solvent volume per batch (L)

D) UAE performance targets (highly recommended)

9. Your current benchmark method

   • maceration / tank extraction / Soxhlet / other

   • current time and yield (or assay) so supplier can quantify improvement

10. Target reduction in time / target yield

• e.g., “reduce from 8 hours to 2 hours,” or “increase yield by 15%”

11. Temperature ceiling

• max allowable temperature (°C) and why (thermolabile compounds, aroma loss)

E) Ultrasound parameters & power definition (critical for accurate design)

This is where most UAE RFQs fail.

12. Frequency preference (if any)

• if unknown, supplier proposes based on application

13. Power information (choose what you have)

• nameplate generator power (W)

• amplitude setting used in lab (%), if applicable

• any delivered power measurement results (calorimetry)

14. Energy density target (kJ/L) — if you have lab data
    If you don’t have it, ask supplier to propose and validate.

15. Duty cycle / pulse mode requirement (yes/no)

• If overheating is a concern, pulse mode is often required.

F) Solids handling and mixing (must-have for slurries)

16. Solids loading

• g/L or % w/w

17. Particle size window

• sieve cut or milling method

• whether fines are a known issue

18. Viscosity behavior

• does it become sticky/resinous?

• does viscosity rise during extraction?

19. Settling tendency

• does the solid settle quickly?

• do you need continuous suspension?

If filtration is your bottleneck, include:

• current filtration method and micron rating

• observed failure mode
  Related reading: filter clogging after UAE: causes & fixes

G) Temperature control and cooling utilities (must-have)

20. Cooling utility available

• tap water / chilled water / recirculating chiller

• inlet temperature range and flow capacity (if known)

21. Temperature stability requirement

• acceptable variation (±°C)

• whether you need temperature logging

22. Heat exchanger preference (if loop/continuous)

• yes/no, or supplier to propose

H) Downstream integration (must-have for realistic throughput)

UAE may speed extraction, but the plant is limited by downstream capacity.

23. Solid-liquid separation plan

• bag filter / press / centrifuge

• target filtration rate (L/h) and final micron

24. Concentration plan (if making thick extract/powder)

• vacuum concentration required?
  Related reading: vacuum concentration for herbal extracts

25. Solvent recovery expectations (if ethanol used)

• reuse requirement, recovery rate expectation
  Related reading: solvent recovery system for ethanol extraction

I) Automation, documentation, and safety scope

26. Automation level

• manual / semi-auto / full PLC recipes

• data logging required? alarms?

27. Safety scope

• flammable solvent? indoor installation? ventilation conditions?

• explosion-proof requirement (yes/no/unknown)

28. Documents required

• GA drawing, PFD/P&ID, electrical drawings, manuals, FAT/SAT