Rapid expanded solvent extraction
AssigneeYulex Corporation
InventorsKatrina CORNISH, Rodger T. Marentis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides for a method of rapid expanded solvent extraction of biopolymers, such as rubber, from plant materials, such as guayule, using an expanded hexane solvent. As is illustrated herein, the use of the expanded hexane solvent results in a markedly more efficient and rapid extraction process over other supercritical carbon dioxide extraction systems, including those systems using a hexane cosolvent.
Claims21
An expanded solvent extraction method, comprising:
- filling an extraction vessel with liquid hexane;
- expanding the liquid hexane in the vessel by adding carbon dioxide to the extraction vessel, forming an expanded hexane solvent;
- transitioning the expanded hexane solvent to a two phase supercritical/liquid system, wherein supercritical carbon dioxide is saturated with the expanded hexane solvent;
- transitioning the saturated supercritical carbon dioxide into a single phase supercritical carbon dioxide and hexane cosolvent;
- and
- performing a supercritical carbon dioxide wash.
A method of extracting a biopolymer from a plant material, comprising:
- placing plant material in an extraction vessel;
- pumping liquid hexane into the extraction vessel;
- introducing carbon dioxide into the extraction vessel, forming an expanded hexane solvent;
- and
- extracting the biopolymer from the plant material using supercritical carbon dioxide.
An apparatus for selectively extracting a biopolymer from a plant material, comprising:
- an extraction vessel, wherein the extraction vessel is capable of maintaining an expanded solvent at a supercritical pressure and temperature;
- a pump, fluidly coupled to the extraction vessel, wherein the pump is capable of pumping liquid hexane into the extraction vessel;
- a cylinder, fluidly coupled to the pressure vessel, wherein the cylinder is capable of holding a supercritical solution including the plant material;
- a botanical matix, fluidly coupled to the cylinder, wherein the botanical matrix is capable of extracting the biopolymer from the supercritical solution.
A binary solvent system, comprising:
- a hexane solvent and a carbon dioxide cosolvent, wherein the carbon dioxide cosolvent expands the volume of the hexane solvent and lowers the density of the hexane solvent, forming an expanded hexane solvent for extracting a biopolymer from a plant material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.