Herbal Leaf Coarse Grinding Test for Tea Bags

We recently completed a coarse grinding trial test of herbal leaves for a customer in the tea bag sector. Using the SLC series coarse crusher equipped with a 6mm screen, we achieved a finished particle size of 2–6mm, meeting the requirements for new product development.

I. Testing Background

A manufacturer of bagged tea recently initiated the development of a new product line using herbal leaves (such as mint, lemongrass, and chrysanthemum) as raw materials. The process requires coarsely crushing the dried leaves into flakes or granules approximately 3–5 mm in size to ensure suitability for tea bag packaging and optimal flavor release during brewing.

Key Customer Requirements:

  ● Low equipment cost; suitable for small-batch R&D or small-to-medium-scale production.

  ● Simple operation and easy cleaning.

II. Trial Plan

Based on customer requirements and material characteristics (dried herbal leaves; fibrous, lightweight, and bulky), we recommend using the SLC series coarse crusher for the trial run.

2.1 Trial Procedure

1)Feed the dried herbal leaves into the inlet of the SLC coarse crusher.

2)The material is subjected to shearing and impact forces from the high-speed rotating cutter assembly.

3)Material meeting the screen hole size (6 mm) passes through the screen and is discharged, while material exceeding the hole size continues to circulate and undergo further crushing within the chamber.

4)Collect the finished product and observe the particle size distribution.

2.2 Trial Results

About the testing results, you can watch the leaf grinding video and see the result analysis below:

1)Finished Product Size: Approximately 2–6 mm; the majority falls within the 3–5 mm target range.

2)Uniformity: A mixture of flakes and small particles; no significant long fibers or large, uncrushed leaves.

3)Fines Content: A small amount of micro-particles (<2 mm); this is considered normal.

4)Throughput: Dependent on feed rate; meets requirements for small-to-medium batch production.

III. Technical Description: Supplementary Plan for Particle Size Control

The SLC series coarse crusher utilizes a screen to control output particle size. In this instance, a 6mm screen is used, ensuring the theoretical maximum particle size does not exceed 6mm. As herbal leaves are fibrous materials, the generation of a small amount of fine powder during the crushing process is normal.

If the customer requires greater particle size uniformity (e.g., the complete removal of powder smaller than 2mm), adding a vibrating sifter as a downstream process is recommended:

  ● After screening, particles meeting specifications proceed to tea bag filling.

  ● Fine powder can be collected for use in other products (such as powdered tea or seasonings) or recycled.

This approach further enhances the quality of the finished product while keeping equipment costs under control.

IV. Customer Feedback

After observing the trial run and the finished product on-site, the client commented:

“The equipment operates stably, and the particle size of the finished product essentially meets our requirements. The presence of a small amount of fine particles is acceptable for subsequent screening or tea bag packaging. Should stricter size control be required, we would consider installing a sifting machine.”

V. Application Prospects

This trial run has demonstrated the feasibility of using the SLC series coarse crusher to process herbal and leaf-based raw materials for tea bags. The equipment is also suitable for:

  ● Coarse crushing of herbal teas (chrysanthemum, rose, honeysuckle)

  ● Slicing or coarse crushing of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs (licorice root, dried tangerine peel, astragalus)

  ● Processing of dried culinary herbs (rosemary, thyme)

VI. Conclusion

The SLC series coarse crusher used in this herbal leaf coarse grinding test has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, and controllable particle size. Such type grinder can offer an ideal raw material pre-processing solution for manufacturers of tea bags and herbal teas. Welcome to contact Salinovate Technology for trial test or for more leaf grinding solution.