Method and apparatus for extracting botanical oils
Various aspects of this patent document relate to a method to extract an oil from a plant material using an apparatus by first exposing the plant material to a heated gas stream at a temperature sufficient to volatilize the oil from the plant material, and then rapidly cooling the gas stream to liquefy the oil.
1. A method to extract oil from plant material, comprising:
(a) providing a system to extract oil from plant material, wherein:
the system comprises a gas moving device operable to propel a gas stream through the system;
the system comprises a heater in fluid communication with the gas moving device such that the heater is operable to heat the gas stream and produce a heated gas stream;
the system comprises an extraction chamber configured to receive plant material;
the extraction chamber is in fluid communication with both the gas moving device and the heater such that the heated gas stream is directed through any plant material disposed in the extraction chamber to vaporize oil from the plant material and produce oil vapor;
the system comprises a collection chamber in fluid communication with the extraction chamber such that the heated gas stream flows from the extraction chamber to the collection chamber;
the system comprises a collection solvent sprayer configured to spray ethyl alcohol into the collection chamber;
the collection chamber is configured to cool the heated gas stream to condense oil vapor and produce condensed oil;
the system comprises a liquid collector in fluid communication with the collection chamber such that at least some of the condensed oil is directed from the collection chamber to the liquid collector;
the system is configured such that the gas moving device propels the gas stream through each of the heater, the extraction chamber, and the collection chamber; and
the system is configured to simultaneously vaporize oil from the plant material and condense oil vapor;
(b) operating the system such that the gas moving device propels a gas stream through the system;
(c) operating the system such that the heater heats the gas stream to produce a heated gas stream;
(d) operating the system such that the extraction chamber receives a plant material;
(e) operating the system such that the heated gas stream is directed through the plant material to vaporize an oil from the plant material and produce an oil vapor;
(f) operating the system such that the heated gas stream flows from the extraction chamber to the collection chamber;
(g) operating the system such that the collection solvent sprayer sprays ethyl alcohol into the collection chamber;
(h) operating the system such that the collection chamber cools the heated gas stream to condense the oil vapor and produce a condensed oil, and such that (e) and (h) occur simultaneously; and
(i) operating the system such that the condensed oil either is a dissolved oil in the ethyl alcohol or becomes a dissolved oil in the ethyl alcohol.