Herb oil pressing devices and methods are provided. The devices include a pair of closable opposed jaws that can apply pressure to a herb placed between the jaws; a motor connected to the jaws for controlling the closing of the jaws, and, when closed, controlling the pressure produced between the jaws; a heater connected to the jaws for heating the jaws and herb; a housing in which the jaws, the motor, and the heater are housed; and a user interface connected to the jaws and the heater, the user interface for inputting a selection of temperature, pressure, and amount of time the temperature and pressure is applied to a herb positioned between the jaws to extract oil therefrom. Related computer-implemented methods of pressing a herb are also provided.

Herb oil pressing devices and methods are provided. The devices include a pair of closable opposed jaws that can apply pressure to a herb placed between the jaws; a motor connected to the jaws for controlling the closing of the jaws, and, when closed, controlling the pressure produced between the jaws; a heater connected to the jaws for heating the jaws and herb; a housing in which the jaws, the motor, and the heater are housed; and a user interface connected to the jaws and the heater, the user interface for inputting a selection of temperature, pressure, and amount of time the temperature and pressure is applied to a herb positioned between the jaws to extract oil therefrom. Related computer-implemented methods of pressing a herb are also provided.

A heat press for extracting fluid, such as oil, from a biological plant. A lower heat platen is fixedly attached to a main frame and an upper heat platen is retractably positioned opposite to the lower heat platen. A pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or a manual or electronic linear actuator provides pressure to an actuation means that is operatively connected to the upper heat platen for initiating movement. A control mechanism that consists of a single pressure regulator system or a dual pressure regulator system is used to control pressure of a pressing operation of the heat press. Alternatively, a digital regulator system can be used to control pressure, time, and temperature of a pressing operation of the heat press. At least one of the upper and lower heat platens has embedded heating elements and an isolated thermocouple. A user interface panel, having an LCD display, a user keyboard, or a touchscreen display is also mounted to the main enclosure.

A heat press for extracting fluid, such as oil, from a biological plant. A lower heat platen is fixedly attached to a main frame and an upper heat platen is retractably positioned opposite to the lower heat platen. A pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or a manual or electronic linear actuator provides pressure to an actuation means that is operatively connected to the upper heat platen for initiating movement. A control mechanism that consists of a single pressure regulator system or a dual pressure regulator system is used to control pressure of a pressing operation of the heat press. Alternatively, a digital regulator system can be used to control pressure, time, and temperature of a pressing operation of the heat press. At least one of the upper and lower heat platens has embedded heating elements and an isolated thermocouple. A user interface panel, having an LCD display, a user keyboard, or a touchscreen display is also mounted to the main enclosure.

The present invention relates to an oil comprising at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid having at least 20 carbon atoms (LC-PUFA). It is found that LC-PUFA-containing oil are susceptible to gelling by formation of microscopic crystals during storage ultimately resulting in unfavorable quality and handling properties. This problem has been particularly observed with a microbial oil comprising at least about 25% by weight LC-PUFA and a moisture content of 0.2 to 5% by weight. Surprisingly, it has been found that a LC-PUFA-containing oil as described above is effectively stable and does not show gelling properties under conventional storage conditions, if the oil composition as such contains less than about 8% preferably less than about 5% by weight of free fatty acid in the residual moisture of the oil. Therefore, the present invention is directed to an oil comprising at least about 25% by weight LC-PUFA and a moisture content comprising less than about 8% preferably less than about 5% by weight of free fatty acid.

A method and an plant for separating wax from a dried wax coated plant material, comprising mechanically processing the plant material in a dry process by using an apparatus adapted for deforming at least the outer surface of the plant material, so that the wax coating is cracked and released from the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material; separating the plant material in a separator into a portion A comprising plant material with a relatively high content of cracked and released wax coating and a relatively low content of the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material, and a portion B comprising respectively a relatively low content cracked and released wax coating and a relatively high content of the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material; liquefying the wax contained in portion A, and separating the liquefied wax from the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material in portion A.

A method and an plant for separating wax from a dried wax coated plant material, comprising mechanically processing the plant material in a dry process by using an apparatus adapted for deforming at least the outer surface of the plant material, so that the wax coating is cracked and released from the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material; separating the plant material in a separator into a portion A comprising plant material with a relatively high content of cracked and released wax coating and a relatively low content of the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material, and a portion B comprising respectively a relatively low content cracked and released wax coating and a relatively high content of the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material; liquefying the wax contained in portion A, and separating the liquefied wax from the remaining, partly de-waxed, plant material in portion A.

An oil production apparatus includes a reaction vessel where raw material composed of an agricultural residue or a fishery residue is fed, a water vapor injecting unit for injecting saturated water vapor into the reaction vessel, a kneading unit for kneading a content in the reaction vessel, a temperature sensor disposed at a lower part of the reaction vessel, a pressure regulating unit regulating the pressure, a control unit for controlling driving of the water vapor injection unit, the kneading unit, the pressure regulating unit, a housing for making a working area for extraction of oil oxygen-free, a solid-liquid separation unit for separating solid from a product and water removal unit both disposed in the housing, and a nitrogen injection unit for injecting nitrogen into the housing. A method for obtaining the oil is also presented.

A method for obtaining a protein ingredient for animal feed from seeds of sunflowers or rape includes shelling the sunflower seeds or rapeseeds up to a shell content of <2.5 wt %, mechanically partially extracting the oil from the shelled sunflower seeds or rapeseeds by pressing, up to a fat or oil content in the region of >6 and <25 wt %, and carrying out at least one extraction step for further extraction of the oil with at least one organic solvent or supercritical CO2, up to an oil content of less than 3.5 wt %; and subsequently desolventing, wherein at least one protein-denaturing treatment of the sunflower seeds or rapeseeds is carried out between the shelling of the sunflower seeds or rapeseeds and the obtaining of the protein ingredient. Due to its good digestibility, the protein ingredient can be used as an at least partial replacement for animal proteins in animal feeds.

An oil production apparatus includes a reaction vessel where raw material composed of an agricultural residue or a fishery residue is fed, a water vapor injecting unit for injecting saturated water vapor into the reaction vessel, a kneading unit for kneading a content in the reaction vessel, a temperature sensor disposed at a lower part of the reaction vessel, a pressure regulating unit regulating the pressure, a control unit for controlling driving of the water vapor injection unit, the kneading unit, the pressure regulating unit, a housing for making a working area for extraction of oil oxygen-free, a solid-liquid separation unit for separating solid from a product and water removal unit both disposed in the housing, and a nitrogen injection unit for injecting nitrogen into the housing. A method for obtaining the oil is also presented.