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US 10,293,274 B2Granted
Essential oil extraction, recovery, and purge system and method
AssigneeEssential Innovations, Inc.
InventorCasey Steele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of extracting essential oils from plant material through the use of a low pressure alcohol-based closed system that includes a solvent chamber connected to a material column that is, in turn, connected to a kettle. Plant material in the material column and the solvent in the solvent chamber are cooled using a cooling liquid, such as nitrogen. A vacuum pump connected to the kettle creates a vacuum in the kettle to draw the cooled solvent through the cooled plant material and extract essential oils, which are collected in the kettle.
Claims21
A non-pressurized vacuum method of extracting plant oil, comprising:
- introducing plant material into a material container;
- introducing a cooling liquid into the material container;
- providing an alcohol-based liquid solvent for introduction into the material container;
- applying a continuous vacuum in a kettle that is in fluid communication with the material container, and heating the kettle;
- pulling the solvent with the continuous vacuum from the kettle through the plant material in the material container and through a filter system to extract a mixture of oil and solvent from the plant material;
- and
- pulling the mixture of solvent and extracted oil from the material container and into the kettle with the continuous vacuum.
4 more elements
A non-pressurized vacuum method of extracting fluid from plant material in an interior of a material container, the method comprising:
- delivering a cooling liquid into an interior of the material container to mix with the plant material in the interior of the material container and cool the plant material;
- delivering a liquid solvent into the interior of the material container to mix with the plant material and the cooling liquid in the material container;
- applying a continuous vacuum in a kettle that is in fluid communication with the material container;
- extracting a mixture of oil and solvent from the plant material by pulling the solvent through the plant material in the material container with the continuous vacuum;
- and
- pulling the mixture of solvent and extracted oil from the material container and into the kettle with the continuous vacuum.
3 more elements
A non-pressurized, vacuum fluid extraction system that extracts plant oil from plant material, the system comprising:
- a solvent container capable of storing a solvent;
- a material container having an interior capable of retaining the plant material, the interior of the material container in fluid communication with the solvent container;
- a kettle in fluid communication with the material container to receive plant oil and solvent from the material container, the kettle including a heat jacket capable of heating the kettle;
- a condenser having only one fluid input in direct fluid communication only with the kettle to receive solvent vapor from only the kettle, the condenser having only one fluid output;
- a collection tank directly connected to the fluid output of the condenser to be in fluid communication with the condenser;
- and
- a vacuum pump directly connected to only the collection tank and capable of providing a continuous vacuum to the collection tank;
- wherein the system is capable of performing a process of extracting plant oil from the plant material in the interior of the material container using a continuous vacuum applied by the vacuum pump to the collection tank, the process including:
- delivering a cooling liquid into the interior of the material container to mix with the plant material in the interior of the material container and cool the plant material;
- applying only the continuous vacuum in the collection tank that is in fluid communication with the material container via the kettle;
- forming a mixture of solvent and plant oil from the plant material by pulling the solvent from the solvent container and through the plant material in the material container with the continuous vacuum from the collection tank to extract the plant oil from the plant material;
- and
- pulling the mixture of solvent and plant oil from the material container and into the kettle with the continuous vacuum from the collection tank.
10 more elements
A non-pressurized, vacuum fluid extraction system that extracts plant oil from plant material, the system comprising:
- a solvent container capable of storing a solvent;
- a material container having an interior capable of retaining the plant material, the interior of the material container directly connected to the solvent container to be in fluid communication with the solvent container;
- a kettle in fluid communication with the material container to receive plant oil and solvent from the material container, the kettle including a heat jacket capable of heating the kettle;
- a vacuum pump coupled only to the kettle and capable of providing a continuous vacuum to the kettle;
- wherein the system is capable of performing a process of extracting plant oil from the plant material in the interior of the material container using a continuous vacuum applied by the vacuum pump to the kettle, the process including:
- delivering a cooling liquid into the interior of the material container to mix with the plant material in the interior of the material container and cool the plant material;
- applying a continuous vacuum to the kettle via the vacuum pump to thereby apply vacuum in the material container via the kettle;
- forming a mixture of solvent and plant oil from the plant material by pulling the solvent from the solvent container and through the plant material in the material container with the continuous vacuum to extract the plant oil from the plant material;
- and
- pulling the mixture of solvent and plant oil from the material container and into the kettle with the continuous vacuum.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.