A method and apparatus for extracting botanical oil from botanical mass includes milling the biomass and chilling the milled biomass. The biomass is then exposed to a chilled ethanol solvent. Water is added and the solution introduced into a first centrifuge. The clean ethanol slurry is then introduced into an evaporator leaving a two-phase mixture which is introduced into a second centrifuge which separates the water from the pure botanical oil.

An improved process for producing various types of cannabis extract from harvested cannabis wherein a quantity of harvested cannabis, which typically includes the inflorescence, floral leaves, and small stems of a flowering cannabis plants, is frozen and subjected to cryogenic grinding to produce pulverized cannabis. The pulverized cannabis is then subjected to alcohol extraction to produce an initial cannabis extract which is filtered to yield a remainder fraction and a filtrate. The remainder fraction potentiates the activity of cannabis formulations while the filtrate can be subjected to one of several forms of further processing according to the desired chemical profile of the final product.

Method and apparatus to facilitate recycling of at least one fraction of bitumen-containing materials. This can be accomplished by dissolving the at least one fraction, for example, maltenes or asphaltenes in roofing shingles, into at least one solvent. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a dissolution vessel, a tumbler positioned therein, and at least one solvent distributor. The tumbler is configured to facilitate wetting the bitumen-containing materials with solvent. In a second aspect, a system comprises the apparatus, a solid-liquid separator, for example, a vibratory screen, and at least one solvent-fraction separator, for example, a flash drum. The at least one solvent can comprise one or more solvents useful to extract the at least one fraction. In a third aspect, a first fraction is extracted from the bitumen-containing materials with a first solvent composition, then a second fraction is extracted from the remaining bitumen-containing materials with a second solvent composition.

Suggested is a method for the extraction of fragrances from natural starting material consisting of the following steps: (a) providing a sample of the natural starting material in a pressure proof sample container; (b) bringing in the sample in contact with liquefied petroleum gas of propane and/or butane gas, preferably; (c) extracting the fragrances from the natural starting material provided in step (b); (d) venting of the pressure proof sample container, while the liquefied petroleum gas is evaporated and the fragrances is maintained as residue in the container; and optionally (e) dissolving the fragrances in a suitable solvent.

Refrigerated solvent is fed through a cooling jacket around an essential element extraction vessel. After circulating through the cooling jacket, the solvent is re-chilled and at least some of the solvent is passed into the extraction vessel, in which essential elements dissolve into the solvent. Downstream of the extraction vessel, after adsorbent media treatment, the extracted oil and solvent mixture is filtered, in a chilled state, through one or more filtration units. A filtration unit may be a system of vertically oriented filters of decreasing pore size sealed and insulated from the atmosphere. Pressurized gas is used to force the oil and solvent through the filters. Each filter stage has a removable lid, which provides convenient access for replacing the filter cartridge without disturbing the thermally insulated sidewalls of the filter stage.

A process for extracting a botanical organic compound from cannabis with subcritical liquid carbon dioxide includes providing a pressurizable extraction vessel. The cannabis is placed within the pressurizable extraction vessel, whereupon the extraction vessel is filled with liquid carbon dioxide under subcritical conditions. The cannabis is then allowed to be in contact with the subcritical liquid carbon dioxide for a selected period of time so as to extract at least a portion of the botanical organic compounds from the cannabis into the subcritical liquid carbon dioxide. The subcritical liquid carbon dioxide containing the botanical organic compound is then removed from the extraction vessel, and the liquid carbon dioxide is separated from the botanical organic compound.

A method and a PVB cleaning and/or upgrading system for cleaning and upgrading post-consumer and/or post-industrial polyvinyl butyral is provided. The system includes an extraction station for extraction with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide. The extraction station comprises a sealable container with means for introducing pressurized liquid carbon dioxide into the container and means for stirring PVB material. The station further includes transfer means for transferring the pressurized liquid carbon dioxide containing extracted plasticizer and/or contaminants from the container to a distillation unit. The distillation unit separates extracted plasticizer and/or contaminants from the carbon dioxide, by evaporation of the liquefied CO2. The system further includes pressurizing means, such as a compressor, for pressurizing and liquefying of the CO2 evaporated in the distillation unit.

The present disclosure relates, according to disclosed embodiments, to a system for extracting an organic compound from a natural source, the system comprising a computer processor operational to control the system; a storage vessel configured to store an extraction gas, the storage vessel comprising a storage vessel outlet in electrical communication with the computer processor; a valve in electrical communication with the computer processor, the valve comprising a valve inlet and a valve outlet, wherein the valve inlet connects to the storage vessel outlet; a dynamic extraction vessel; and a spray evaporation loop system configured to receive a solute from the dynamic extraction vessel, the spray evaporation loop system comprising an injection nozzle in electrical communication with the computer processor, the injection nozzle comprising an injection nozzle inlet connected to the first dynamic extraction vessel outlet; and a cyclonic separator in electrical communication with the computer processor.

A process is disclosed for extracting cannabinoids from plant materials. The process comprises providing a pressurizable extraction vessel having a rotatable drum with baffles, along with providing a solvent permeable filter bag. The plant material is placed within the filter bag, and the filter bag containing the plant material is placed within the extraction vessel. The extraction vessel is then filled with subcritical liquid carbon dioxide and rotated to so that the plant material is in contact with the liquid carbon dioxide. After a selected period of time, the liquid carbon dioxide solvent containing the cannabinoid extracted from the plant material is removed from the vessel, and sent to a separator. The separator separates the cannabinoid from the liquid carbon dioxide solvent.

Refrigerated solvent is fed through a cooling jacket around an essential element extraction vessel. After circulating through the cooling jacket, the solvent is re-chilled and at least some of the solvent is passed into the extraction vessel, in which essential elements dissolve into the solvent. Downstream of the extraction vessel, after adsorbent media treatment, the extracted oil and solvent mixture is filtered, in a chilled state, through one or more filtration units. A filtration unit may be a system of vertically oriented filters of decreasing pore size sealed and insulated from the atmosphere. Pressurized gas is used to force the oil and solvent through the filters. Each filter stage has a removable lid, which provides convenient access for replacing the filter cartridge without disturbing the thermally insulated sidewalls of the filter stage.