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.

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.

An extraction system comprises an extraction chamber having an end cap at an one end accepting organic matter and gas or liquid solvent. A collection vessel is attached below the extraction chamber, a viewing vessel is sealed at an acute angle to a sidewall of the collection vessel enabling visual inspection at the collection plate. A gas tank is connected to the extraction chamber introducing solvent and a frame supports chamber by axles fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the extraction chamber, said axles supported by the frame structure enabling free rotation of the chamber about the axles. After gas is introduced to the organic matter, the extraction chamber is rotated vigorously about the axis, the one end is then connected to the open upper end of the collection vessel, and a lipid yield is collected at the collection plate.

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 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.

A rotary separation apparatus is deployed in a process for separating resinous trichomes rich in flavoring, aromatic and/or medicinal components produced in plant trichome glands from unwanted plant matter. A liquid freezing agent is introduced into a container of the plant matter to fragment the undesirable matter while the desired portion rich in trichome remain intact.

A plant oil extraction apparatus may include a volatile solvent tank, an oil bearing plant material container for receiving at least some of the volatile solvent, a chiller for cooling volatile solvent to a liquid state in contact with the oil bearing plant material, a vessel for collecting at least some of the mixture of volatile solvent and plant material, a heater for heating at least liquid state volatile solvent to a gas state, a compressor for compressing volatile solvent gas to a higher pressure, and a heat exchanger to cool and condense at least part of the compressed solvent gas to a liquid state and to return at least part of the condensed liquid volatile solvent to the solvent tank. The cycling of the apparatus may at least in part be controlled by an electronic controller and a human machine interface may be used by an operator to input data to the electronic controller.

A method of separating trichomes from cannabis plant flowers that begins with delivering the cannabis plant material to a hopper and continuously moving the cannabis material from the hopper to a porous container in a bath of cold water, at a controllable rate, and moving the cannabis material contained in the porous container, through the cold bath from an entrance end, to an exit end, thereby removing trichomes, which exit the porous container into the cold water. The remaining cannabis plant material is moved out of the exit end of the bath, at substantially the same rate as the cannabis plant material enters the bath. Finally, the water from the bath is substantially continuously filtered thereby separating the trichomes from the cold water.

The present invention provides a process for fractionating biomass into its individual components. The process includes pretreating a biomass which may include mechanically altering the fibers and/or contacting the biomass with a solvent to provide a fluidized biomass. The pretreated fluidized biomass may be subjected to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing one or more components of the biomass to provide a first liquid fraction and a first fractionated biomass. The first liquid fraction may then be isolated or separated from the first fractionated biomass. The biomass may be separated, isolated or purified into lignin, extractives for use in pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, cellulose, hemicellulose, and other sugars and proteins.