A useful substance is extracted from botanical feedstock by mechanically compressing the feedstock and pumping a solvent through the compressed feedstock at high pressure while applying compressive mechanical force against the feedstock. Movement of pressurized solvent through the compressed feedstock may increase the volume of solvent in contact with the feedstock. Flow of solvent under pressure may also present a shearing force that facilitates dissociation of the useful substance from the feedstock.

A continuous-flow extraction system and method for extracting oil from oil-bearing plant parts, or biomass, with liquid-phase hydrocarbon solvent in a continuous process, providing more than one extraction vessel so that one or more extraction vessels can be cleared of exhausted biomass and reloaded with biomass, while another one or more extraction vessels are undergoing the extraction process, optionally providing a de-waxer for use when needed, providing a primary jacketed separator vessel for flashing hydrocarbon solvent to a vapor phase and precipitating and collecting liquid plant extract, providing at least one secondary jacketed separator vessel for purification and refinement of vapor-phase hydrocarbon solvent and providing for re-liquefication of the solvent for the purpose of re-circulating and reusing the solvent, and providing for the heating, cooling, and pumping necessary to carry out the various steps.

Green bodies are safely, economically and efficiently debound in a dual quartz reactor by subjecting them to a steady laminar upward flow of freshly distilled solvent so that the concentration difference of soluble binder at the green body/solvent interface is at all times maximized for optimum binder extraction as per Fick's laws of diffusion. Binder extraction rate is monitored by inline spectrophotometry of the reactor overflow. Following solvent extraction, the residual insoluble binder is thermally extracted without the need to transfer the green bodies to a different vessel.

A process and apparatus for extracting plant oil from plant material by cooling an alcohol solvent to a temperature of −40° C. or lower, contacting the plant material with the cold solvent to extract plant oil to provide a solvent and plant oil mixture, heating the mixture to convert the solvent to a gaseous state to thereby separate the solvent from the plant oil, and cooling the separated gaseous solvent to a liquid to recover the solvent. The apparatus may include a heat exchanger to cool the alcohol solvent, a centrifuge configured to receive and contact a batch of plant material with the cold solvent to extract oil from the plant material to provide a solvent and oil mixture, and a programmable logic controller to monitor and control the temperature of the cold solvent, and control the centrifuge to agitate the solvent in contact with the plant material.

An apparatus for extracting essential oils and oleoresins from a plant material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a circulation pump, a discharging pump, an extraction module, a reservoir, a first evaporator, and a first condenser. The discharge pump is fluidly connected to the circulation pump. The extraction module includes at least one extraction vessel. The reservoir is configured to store a solvent containing a C1 to C4 fluorinated hydrocarbon. In a short loop circulation mode the discharge pump pumps a solution comprising the solvent and one or more active components of the plant material dissolved therein from the bottom of the at least one extraction vessel, passing through the circulation pump, and then back to the top of the at least one extraction vessel.

Systems and methods for solvent-free direct extraction of target compounds from plant matter are disclosed herein. The disclosed systems and methods use low pressure to reduce the evaporation temperature of target compounds without affecting the chemical integrity thereof. Target compounds are extracted from the plant matter in an evacuation chamber, and the extracted target compounds are then collected using a cooling system. Target compounds may be drawn from the evacuation chamber into the cooling system using a carrier gas to facilitate transport of the targeted compounds in the vapor phase. The evaporated target compounds may, for example, be drawn into the cooling system using a recirculation system that includes a blower. The disclosed systems and methods may be used, for example, to extract target compounds from plant matter such as fresh or dried cannabis and hemp, lavender, rosemary, lilac, or other suitable plant matter containing desirable compounds for extraction.

A method for treating water in a spa or a hot tub includes, for example, suspending a water treatment dispenser from an upper end of a filter cartridge disposed in a skimmer of the spa or the hot tub. The dispenser includes a water treatment material. A supply of water is passed from the spa or the hot tub into the skimmer and through the filter cartridge so that the dispenser suspended in the filtered water in the filter cartridge is operable to dispense the water treatment material from the dispenser, and a supply of treated filtered water from the filter cartridge is returned to the spa or the hot tub. A cover, for example, may be employed when the dispenser is not used.

An apparatus for extraction and recovery of components from biomass feedstocks with pressurized low polarity water. The apparatus is configured with four or more reaction columns, wherein each column is in separate communication with a supply of hot water, a first supply of pressurized heated water, a second supply of pressurized heated water, and a supply of pressurized cooling water. Components may be extracted concurrently from two or more batches of the biomass by, first placing the two batches of biomass into two selected columns, separately flooding the two columns with pressurized water, heating the columns and their contents to the point where the water becomes pressurized low polarity (PLP) water, recovering the PLP water comprising the extracted components from the two selected columns, cooling the columns with PLP water, and removing the spent biomass material from the columns.

A method of extracting Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols is disclosed. The method may include: inserting crushed avocado seeds to one or more extraction chambers; flowing supercritical CO.sub.2 fluid through the crushed avocado seeds in one or more extraction chambers; and separating from the supercritical CO.sub.2 flown through the crushed avocado seeds the Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols extracted and dissolved in the supercritical CO.sub.2. The supercritical CO.sub.2 fluid may be the only solvent used for dissolving and extracting the Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols.

Systems and methods for solvent-free direct extraction of target compounds from compositions of matter are disclosed herein. The disclosed systems and methods use low pressure to reduce the evaporation temperature of target compounds without affecting the chemical integrity thereof. Target compounds are extracted from the composition of matter in an evacuation chamber and then collected using a capture system. Target compounds may be drawn from the evacuation chamber into the capture system using a carrier gas to facilitate transport of the targeted compounds in the vapor phase. A processed vapor stream may be transported from the capture system back into the evacuation chamber using a recirculation system that includes a blower. The disclosed systems and methods may be used, for example, to extract target compounds from plant matter such as fresh or dried cannabis and hemp, lavender, rosemary, lilac, or other suitable plant matter containing desirable compounds for extraction.