In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a terpene-rich sample is prepared for terpene analysis using liquid chromatography via an extraction method that takes little time, uses minimal external equipment, and permits direct injection of extracted terpenes into a liquid chromatography instrument for analysis. An embodiment of the invention involves preparing a terpene-containing sample for analysis by liquid chromatography by liquid extraction; heating the liquid extract in a vial that contains a filter medium or solvent; collecting the terpenes in the medium by the vapor pressure forced through the filter from heating; and eluting the collected terpenes into a vial or directly into a chromatography injector.

This present invention generally relates to a process for upgrading and desulfurizing crude oil using supercritical water. In general, the invention provides a process for removal of contaminants from a crude oil stream by mixing the crude oil stream with supercritical water and then filtering out the precipitated solid compounds that result from mixing the crude oil stream with supercritical water.

A liquid-liquid-solid extraction process is disclosed for isolating natural products from a feedstock stream containing a biomass in an aqueous salt solution. The process includes forming a dispersion by contacting the feedstock stream with an extraction solvent in an extraction zone; passing the dispersion to a separation zone; separating the dispersion into multiple layers at a temperature of about 90 C. or less, the layers including: a solvent extract layer, a raffinate layer and a rag layer, and isolating at least part of the solvent extract layer, at least part of the raffinate layer and/or at least part of the rag layer.

A system may be configured to extract useful products from raw materials. Some systems include (1) a wet-grinding apparatus that includes (a) a conveyance for receiving and directing a slurry containing carrier liquids with suspended raw materials, (b) a high torque motor, (c) a motor drive operably coupled to be driven by the high torque motor (d) a set of flat grinding disks that include at least one rotor disk that is operably coupled to be driven by the motor drive, the set configured, when the at least one rotor disk is driven by the motor drive, to accept the slurry from the conveyance, to grind the suspended raw materials, and to discharge the slurry, and (2) a microwave with a microwave emitter configured to emit microwave radiation toward the slurry at least one of before, while, or after the slurry is ground by the wet-grinding apparatus.