Extraction apparatus and method
An extraction apparatus and a processes for preparing extracts of natural products, such as plant material, and for preparing purified extracts from crude extracts of natural products by extraction with a non-polar solvent hot gas.
1. A closed-loop extraction apparatus for extracting constituent components from a plant material by exposing them to a solvent, the closed-loop extractor apparatus comprising:
a solvent tank for receiving and collecting the solvent;
a material tank for receiving the plant material and for receiving a liquid solvent from the solvent tank and exposing the plant material to the solvent for extracting constituent components from the plant material;
a collection tank for receiving the solvent from the material tank including the extracted constituent components; and
a cooled, inline lipid coagulation apparatus coupled between the material tank and the collection tank.
2. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , including a hydrocarbon recovery pump coupled to receive the heated solvent form the collection tank and pump it into the solvent tank.
3. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solvent tank is a jacketed solvent tank and wherein the material column is a jacketed material column and the apparatus further comprising a cryogenic chiller coupled to the jacket of the solvent tank and to the jacket of the material column and cools the solvent tank in the material column.
4. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the solvent tank is a jacketed solvent tank and wherein the material column is a jacketed material column and the apparatus further comprising a cyrogenic chiller coupled to the jacket of the solvent tank and to the jacket of the material column and cools the solvent tank and the material column.
5. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said solvent is a non-polar solvent.
6. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , said closed-loop extraction apparatus further comprising a wheeled mounting rack, wherein said solvent tank, said material tank, and said collection tank are positioned on said wheeled mounting rack.
7. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said solvent is a light hydrocarbon solvent.
8. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , said closed-loop extraction apparatus further comprising an expansion filter tank, a recovery pump, and a recirculating heater.
9. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , said closed loop extraction apparatus further comprising a recovery pump that provides for returning solvent to said solvent tank.
10. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , said closed loop extraction apparatus further comprising a shutoff valve for isolating said solvent tank.
11. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , said closed loop extraction apparatus further comprising a vacuum pump coupled to said solvent tank, wherein said vacuum pump provides for removing oxygen.
12. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooled, inline lipid coagulation apparatus includes a coiled tubing within a chamber.
13. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooled, inline lipid coagulation apparatus includes a chamber cooled to between −40° F. and −120° F.
14. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the constituent components include a specific cannabinoid.
15. The closed-loop extraction apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooled, inline lipid coagulation apparatus includes a filter stack space that holds a filter.