Methods and apparatus for comminution of solid materials. Solid materials are introduced into a first pressure vessel. A working fluid is provided in the first pressure vessel at an operating pressure and an operating temperature. The working fluid is allowed to permeate into the solid materials. The working fluid may permeate into the solid materials while in a supercritical fluid phase. The working fluid is rapidly expanded to thereby create fractured solid materials from the solid materials. Rapidly expanding the working fluid may comprise causing a transition of the working fluid from a supercritical phase with a first density to a subcritical vapour phase with a second density.

Methods and apparatus for comminution of solid materials. Solid materials are introduced into a first pressure vessel. A working fluid is provided in the first pressure vessel at an operating pressure and an operating temperature. The working fluid is allowed to permeate into the solid materials. The working fluid may permeate into the solid materials while in a supercritical fluid phase. The working fluid is rapidly expanded to thereby create fractured solid materials from the solid materials. Rapidly expanding the working fluid may comprise causing a transition of the working fluid from a supercritical phase with a first density to a subcritical vapour phase with a second density.

A gas jet sieve trichome separation assembly is employed in use to separate trichomes from source plant material, such as separating kief from cannabis source plant material. The gas jet sieve trichome separation assembly, as well as an associated method of its operation, serves to separate and collect trichomes in a manner that has proven more effective and efficient than past techniques, and in a manner that facilitates enhanced automation and that is intended for larger scale production capabilities. Per various implementations, the gas jet sieve trichome separation assembly has a housing, one or more sieves, one or more rotatable arms, one or more actuators, a vacuum source, and a cyclonic separator.

The invention relates to a jet mill comprising a milling chamber with a longitudinal axis, an inlet at one end of the axis and an outlet at the opposite end of the axis, the milling chamber comprising a multitude of pins arranged in the free flow cross-section of the milling chamber, wherein the pins are arranged in at least two planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the planes being distant to each other in the longitudinal direction, and the pins of one plane being laterally offset to the pins of the subsequent plane, wherein the milling chamber is divided into alternate pin segments and acceleration segments, the pin segments each having at least two planes of pins, and the acceleration segments having no pins.