Tea Factory Research Articles

Processing procedures of brick tea and their influence on fluorine content

China is the only country that produces brick tea, and more than 90% of the brick tea is consumed in the western minority nationality regions of China. The high fluorine content of brick tea is possibly associated with the special processing procedures, but no investigation has been conducted in this field. To explore the characteristic features of brick tea manufacturing and the alterations in fluorine content during the processing procedures, we performed a field survey involving two brick tea factories and the nearby tea plantations. For the fluorine contents of the initial, intermediate and final processing products, altogether eight types of specimens were collected and determined by using the ion-selective electrode standard curve technique. It was found that the raw material tea leaf for brick tea processing was old, coarse and not the tender delicate tea leaf used for ordinary green or black tea processing. For the fluorine content of the raw material tea leaf, the intermediate and the final products showed that the fresh raw leaf contained a fluorine content as high as 489.31–512.68 mg/kg. During one fermentation-like processing procedure, the fluorine content rose by 4.67% and 1.88% in the specimens from the two factories, respectively, which revealed no statistical significance ( P>0.5). These results suggest that the high fluorine content in brick tea might be due to the high content in the raw material and not related with the processing procedures.

Hydropower Revival in Java's Tea Gardens

Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, large areas of West Java's mountainous rainforests were transformed into tea gardens. The volcanic soils, high rainfall, and cool climate of this region proved the perfect environment for such plantations (Figure 1). During this period, many tea factories were powered by small hydropower plants (SHPs). The location of the factories on tea estates was often determined by the availability of a suitable site for the SHPs. This renewable form of energy was the perfect match for the moderate power requirements of tea factories. However, after the peak in tea production at the beginning of the 20th century, a gradual decline in production took place in West Java. Unfortunately, this period also saw the degradation of the many SHPs that formerly powered the factories. Today most of the plants in the old factories have been destroyed, dismantled, or replaced by Diesel gensets. Rising fuel costs and increased consumer awareness are now providing the right environment for a revival of indigenous hydraulic resources.

Modelling of Fluidized-bed Drying of Black Tea

A mathematical model was developed for fluidized-bed drying of tea. This was developed into a simulation model which can be used for either batch or continuous drying. The simulation model was validated on a thin-layer drying test rig, and on fluidized-bed dryers. To account for the loss of efficiency between thin layer and fluidized-bed, an efficiency factor of 0·6 was used, which was appropriate for, and validated on, an experimental batch dryer, a pilot-scale continuous dryer and a commercial dryer in a tea factory. The simulation model is useful for design, operational setting and control system design. The constant rate drying phase is shown to be a property of the drying air rather than the material being dried.

99/00558 Economics of solar air pre-heating in south Indian tea factories: a case study

99/00558 Economics of solar air pre-heating in south Indian tea factories: a case study

Economics of solar air pre-heating in south Indian tea factories: a case study

Tea processing is an energy intensive operation requiring both thermal and electrical energy. Hot air at a temperature of 100–130°C for tea drying and withering has been obtained in the past by burning coal or firewood. Over the last four years, roof integrated solar air heating systems have been introduced in some of the tea factories of south India, as a partial energy source. This paper aims to present the economical analysis of one such system: a 212 m 2 collector area system that has been in operation for 2.75 yr. The system has reduced specific fuel consumption for tea production from 0.932 to 0.71 kg/kg dmt (drier mouth tea), which represents a fuel savings of approximately 25%. The economic analysis considered the annual investment cost and return cost and included concessions offered by the Government. It shows a payback period of from two to four years, depending upon whether the company is profit making or non-profit making. This work has helped to establish the economic viability of this method.

SLOGGER: A Data Logging System with Control Capabilities

A data logging system developed and built for use in tea factories in Southern Africa is described. A micro-processor based data collection board is connected to a personal computer via its serial port through an optically isolated interface board. The data logger acquires data from sensors and sends it to the personal computer at intervals set by the software running on the computer. The computer stores the data on disk and later displays it in tabular or graphical form. The data logger has control capabilities and can be expanded to drive factory machinery through relays. Basically any sensor that can produce voltage signals can be logged on Slogger. The software on the computer is a TSR (Tenninate and Stay Resident) program, allowing the computer to log in the background while other programs are running.

Contamination of Copper, Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Aluminium During the Black Tea Process

The contamination rates of copper, iron, zinc, manganese and aluminium during the black tea process were evaluated. Total 1411tea samples were collected from 18 tea factories of General Directorate of Tea Enterprise (‚aykur) and 4 tea factories of Private Sector. Copper, iron, zinc, manganese, aluminium contents of tea samples were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The highest contamination of copper and zinc to the tea occurred in the Orthodox method. On the other hand, iron and aluminium contamination were found to be maximum in the C.T.C. method. Copper and aluminium contamination were statistically highly significant in the curling process of the Orthodox method and C.T.C. process of the C.T.C. method. Iron and zinc contamination occurred to be highest in the classification process of the black tea. Coating materials of the curling machines have influenced on the contamination rate of tea significantly. There was no copper contamination in the factories having curling machines coated with chrome-nickel. On the other hand, the high copper contamination was found in the black tea produced in the factories of General Directorate of Tea Enterprise having curling machines coated with bronze. Similarly, iron and aluminium contamination were determined to be high in the factories having curling machines coated with bronze. The shooting periods affected significantly on the iron, zinc, manganese and aluminium contents of the tea except copper. On the other hand, manganese and aluminium contents of the tea increased while iron and zinc contents decreased depending on to the shooting periods.

Determination of fluoride by alizarin complexone soectrometry in tea samples and the wastes of tea factories in iran

Determination of fluoride by alizarin complexone soectrometry in tea samples and the wastes of tea factories in iran

Epigallocatechin Gallate: The Major Causative Agent of Green Tea-Induced Asthma

We describe three patients who worked in green tea factories and developed asthmatic and nasal symptoms after exposure to green tea dust. To clarify what component(s) of green tea leaves might be responsible for causing asthma, we prepared catechins, the major components of green tea leaves. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg; MW: 458 daltons), a major catechin, was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Subjects included three patients with green tea-induced asthma, five asthmatics with no previous exposure to tea dust, and five healthy controls. It was found that all three patients exhibited an immediate skin and bronchial response to EGCg. Prausnitz-Küstner test with EGCg was also positive. However, none of the asthmatic and healthy controls showed a positive reaction. These results indicate that EGCg is a causative agent of green tea-induced asthma and suggest that an IgE-mediated response is, at least in part, responsible for causing this type of occupational asthma.

Tea and premenstrual syndrome in the People's Republic of China.

We evaluated the hypothesis that tea consumption causes premenstrual syndrome by studying 188 nursing students and tea factory workers in the People's Republic of China via questionnaires distributed in classes (nursing students) or during routine physical examinations (tea factory workers). Analysis of the data revealed that tea consumption is strongly related to the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and that the effects are dose-dependent.

Pulmonary Function and Symptoms in Herbal Tea Workers

Occupational respiratory disease caused by inhalation of dust generated during the manufacture of tea was first reported in terms of “tea factory cough” by Castellani and Chalmers.1 Occupational asthma in a tea factory worker was later labeled as “tea maker’s asthma” by Uragoda.2 Ebihara3 described two persons whose illnesses, allergic rhinitis in one and asthma in the other, were related to cultivating and harvesting tea.

The Tea-Planter's Manual

EIGHT years ago, on account of the depression in the coffee industry of Ceylon, the prospects of the colony were of a sufficiently gloomy character. A great improvement has, however, been effected by the partial substitution of tea and cinchona for coffee, and by the general attention given to cacao, cardamoms, and other subsidiary subjects. Ceylon has also been fortunate in possessing a practical scientific institution in the Botanical Gardens of the colony; and its local press is enterprising and well-informed. The Tea-Planter's Manual. By T. C. Owen. Pp. 162, with Coloured Lithographed Plates of an Iron and a Wood and Stone Tea Factory drawn to scale. (Colombo, Ceylon: A. M. and J. Ferguson, 18S6)

V.Report on the Working of the Government Tea Factories and Plantations in the North-Western Provinces during1863–64

(1866). V. Report on the Working of the Government Tea Factories and Plantations in the North-Western Provinces during 1863–64. Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh: Vol. 8, No. 1-4, pp. 241-241.