The present invention primarily concerns a process for producing a plastic material, comprising the steps (i) providing a corn gluten source and a first liquid phase comprising an organic solvent; (ii) extracting solvent-soluble components of the corn gluten source into the first liquid phase; (iii) precipitating a first fraction of the solvent-soluble components out of the first liquid phase, resulting in a second solid phase including the first fraction of the solvent-soluble components and a second liquid phase including a second fraction of the solvent-soluble components; (iv) separating the second solid phase and the second liquid phase; and (v) recovering a flexible plastic material from the second liquid phase or recovering a hard plastic material from the second solid phase.

Processes are described for obtaining highly purified tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) from Cannabis. Solvent extraction is performed on plant material or extract, followed by removal of impurities using sequential liquid-liquid extractions to purify cannabinoid carboxylic acids therefrom based on chemical properties of carboxylate salts. The product liquor, comprising THCa in solvent, is largely free of impurities, and high in THCa. Further steps can be conducted to obtain a highly enriched solution using chromatography and subsequent crystallization of THCa in 99% purity. THCa can be used as starting material for other products that include THC by decarboxylation. Optionally, triglyceride extraction of a washed aqueous phase can be used to prepare a THCa composition without chromatographic purification. A pre-processing aqueous extraction with pH manipulations may be used to remove biomass prior to solvent extraction, while maintaining THCa and optionally other cannabinoid acids.

The present document describes a system and a process for the extraction of several products from apple peel. There are several unit operations involved including an ultrafiltration unit, concentration unit, and a three stage counter current separator centrifuge wherein water is used as the solvent. The final products that are extracted from apple peel include pectin, syrup, fibers, as well as soluble and dried retentate fractions.

The present invention relates to an extraction apparatus for extracting at least one constituent in a substance. The extraction apparatus comprises an extractor, an extraction separator and an extraction condenser. The extractor is used to mix the substance and an extraction fluid, wherein the extraction fluid is a subcritical fluid. The extraction separator is connected to the extractor for receiving and heating the extraction fluid to gasify the extraction fluid and to separate the constituent and the gasified extraction fluid. The extraction condenser is connected to the extraction separator and the extractor for receiving and liquefying the gasified extraction fluid from the extraction separator and sending the liquefied extraction fluid to the extractor.

A process for the conversion of solid lignocellulosic material containing hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, includes (a) hydrolyzing, at a temperature equal to or less than 40° C. at least part of the hemicellulose and at least part of the cellulose of the solid lignocellulosic material with an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, containing in the range from equal to or more than 40.0 wt. % to equal to or less than 51.0 wt. % hydrochloric acid, based on the combined weight amount of water and hydrochloric acid in the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution; yielding a hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous hydrolysate solution; (b) separating the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous hydrolysate solution from the lignin; and (c) heating at least part of the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous hydrolysate solution to a temperature equal to or more than 60° C., yielding a product solution containing 5-(chloromethyl)furfural, and extracting the 5-(chloromethyl)furfural from the product solution into an extraction solvent.

The present application provides a process and system for extraction of rare earth elements using a long-term acid soak. In particular the present application provides a process for extracting rare earth elements from an ore by: (a) soaking the ore with a strong acid at a temperature of less than about 100° C. for at least 1 day; and (b) leaching the acid-soaked ore with an aqueous leaching solution to obtain a leachate comprising the rare earth elements. Optionally, a small amount of water is added to the acid during the acid soaking step and/or an additive comprising one or more metal ions is added to the acid during the acid soaking step.

An oil extraction process may be performed on an oleaginous feedstock using an alcohol-based solvent, such as ethanol. In some examples, an extraction process involves conveying a material in countercurrent direction with an alcohol-based solvent to generate an extracted material and a miscella. The miscella stream is cooled (14) to form a first solvent-rich layer phase separated from a first oil-rich layer, which is then separated (18) to form a first separated oil-rich stream (100) and a first separated solvent-rich stream (102). In some examples, the first separated solvent-rich stream is recycled back to the extractor and introduced into the extractor at a location (38) different than a location (30) where fresh solvent is introduced into the extractor. Additionally or alternatively, water (103) may be introduced into the separated first oil-rich stream to form a second solvent-rich layer phase separated from a second oil-rich layer, which is then separated (20) to form a second separated oil-rich stream (104).

Described herein are methods of preparing cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, or combinations thereof from cutin-containing plant matter. The methods can include heating the cutin-derived plant matter in a solvent at elevated temperature and pressure. In some preferred embodiments, the methods can be carried out without the use of additional acidic or basic species.

A method for purification and extraction of cannabinoids includes: providing a cannabis oil including phospholipids and cannabinoid acids; contacting the cannabis oil with a degumming solvent, wherein the degumming solvent and cannabis oil are substantially immiscible; and separating an aqueous phase including the degumming solvent and at least a portion of the phospholipids from an oil phase including the cannabis oil. The method may further include contacting the oil phase with an extraction solvent, where the extraction solvent and oil phase are substantially immiscible; and separating an aqueous phase including the extraction solvent and at least a portion of the cannabinoid acids from a second oil solvent phase including the oil phase and/or simply the liberated cannabinoids following acidification of the extraction solvent.

In a system and process for selectively purifying various pharmacologically-relevant components of a source plant such as cannabis, an initial step provides a low-temperature, robust essential oil/terpene capture that also dehydrates and decarboxylates the starting product—fresh raw cannabis—by means of a vacuum-assisted microwave distillation process. By doing the terpene capture under vacuum distillation temperature may be kept low. The low distillation temperature maximizes yields of thermally-sensitive components such as terpenes and cannabinoids. The system includes an oil/water separator configured to prevent leakage of ambient air into the system.