A method for reducing an amount of a contaminant in a thermoplastic polymer comprising shearing a combination comprising a contaminated thermoplastic polymer in melt form, water, and a dispersing agent where the shearing causes a portion of the contaminant to be removed from the contaminated thermoplastic polymer (e.g. moved into an aqueous phase with the water or into another separate phase from the water and the polymer), and after shearing, separating the thermoplastic from the aqueous phase to recover thermoplastic polymer.

A powder extractor. Multiple tank partitions are connected between the front and rear wall panels of a rectangular box. Each tank partition divides the inner cavity of the tank into a plurality of soaking tanks. The upper part of each tank partition is respectively provided There are overflow ports. The overflow ports on the partitions of adjacent tanks are staggered in the front and rear directions, and the height of each overflow port gradually decreases from right to left. The discharge end of the rightmost soaking tank relates to a new melt inlet, the feed end of the leftmost soaking tank relates to a concentrated liquid outlet; the leftmost soaking tank is provided with a feed inlet above the feed end. The powder extractor has high soaking efficiency, reduces powder waste, and improves economic benefits.

A horizontal axis 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. The process physically separates resin rich beads at the trichome gland head from extraneous plant matter by one or move separation sieves. The sieves are provided in or as a casing over a rigid frame member. The sieves are mesh fabric bags or screen that are easily opened and replenished in a batch operating mode, and are removable from the frame for cleaning and maintenance. Other aspects of the invention include processes that improve process efficiency and speed, and yield products of superior quality.

An apparatus and method of high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction and/or impregnation may involve treating bulk material in an internal volume of a pressure vessel apparatus at a high pressure level in a range from 40 to 1000 bar under isolation from the environment. The high pressure treatment may be performed charge-wise in a closed system in the pressure vessel apparatus in that the bulk material is supplied charge-wise to the internal volume with the pressure vessel apparatus closed and is positioned in at least one treatment plane. Upon completion of the high pressure treatment, the bulk material is discharged charge-wise from the internal volume with the pressure vessel apparatus closed. This also gives advantages in terms of handling, especially also with regard to material flow, and with regard to operational reliability.

An apparatus and method for high pressure treatment of bulk material by extraction and/or impregnation may involve high pressure treating bulk material in a high pressure treatment volume of a pressure vessel apparatus at a high pressure level, especially high pressure in the range from 40 to 1000 bar. The method comprises at least the three following step sequences that are each controllable individually: pressurization, high pressure treatment, and depressurization. The high pressure treatment is performed in a continuous manner in the high pressure treatment volume. The high pressure treatment volume or the entire pressure vessel apparatus is in a fixed arrangement during the high pressure treatment. The continuity of the high pressure treatment is ensured solely by means of the high pressure treatment volume. This especially enables engineering optimization of high pressure treatment processes, for example extraction.

Methods and systems for intelligence-driven automation of biomass extraction are disclosed. A controller database may store controller data indicative of reference parameter values associated with functioning of processing chambers of the biomass extraction process, and such parameter values may be associated with obtaining extraction results from a biomass exhibiting certain properties. Real-time sensor data may be obtained from sensors connected to the processing chambers. The sensor data may be compared with the controller data to identify a requirement for altering the parameters. AI algorithms may be used to determine the optimal heating temperature, residence time of the biomass in the reactor, and other settings for other critical parameters of biomass extraction, including stages for biomass processing, decarboxylating, mixing with solvent(s), extraction (with microwave energy), filtering, formulation, etc.

A system includes a hydraulic energy transfer system configured to exchange pressures between a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein pressure of the first fluid is greater than pressure of the second fluid. The system also includes a lubrication system coupled to the hydraulic energy transfer system and configured to pump or direct a lubrication fluid into the hydraulic energy transfer system.

A vertically-integrated Cannabis-related product production method is described, the method comprises, producing a distilled cannabinoid and/or a crystallized cannabinoid from Cannabis plants, comprising: in a farming system, growing the Cannabis plants, the Cannabis plants comprise a cannabinoid; in an extraction system, extracting the cannabinoid from the Cannabis plants; in a purification system, purifying the cannabinoid to produce a purified cannabinoid; and in a distillation and/or a crystallization system, distilling and/or crystallizing the purified cannabinoid to produce the distilled cannabinoid and/or the crystallized cannabinoid. Various ways to purify, distill, and process the cannabinoids are described. An insect pest management system may be integrated with the farming system to grow the Cannabis plants in the presence of predatory mites which feed on insects and/or spider mites.

Some variations provide an automated system for solvent extraction of a feed stock to produce a botanical extract, fats, oils, or other desirable solute, comprising: an extraction reactor; a distillation unit; and a second-stage purge chamber or a second-stage purge process utilizing the extraction reactor itself. The second-stage purge chamber or process receives or holds the solid material along with a non-condensable gas and/or solvent vapor, to recover residual solvent contained in the solid material. Other variations provide a process comprising: feeding a raw material and a solvent into an extraction reactor; generating dissolved material in rich solvent and extracted solid material; distilling the rich solvent to generate purified product and recovered solvent; conveying the solid material and a heated inert non-condensable gas and/or solvent vapor into a second-stage purge chamber, or holding the solid material in the same vessel, to recover residual solvent; and recovering the purified product.

Novel thermal evaporative processes for the recovery of heat-sensitive constituents, raw essential oil concentrates, and other compounds from plant biomass material are disclosed, as are systems for implementing such processes. Particularly, the processes include a solvent-less process for either batch-wise or continuous removal and recovery of refined oils, such as volatile aroma components and heavier oils, from plant material.