Solvent extraction of oil from oil-bearing materials
AssigneeUniversity Research & Marketing
InventorHenry L. Franke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved low temperature process for extracting oil from oil-bearing materials by extracting the oil-bearing material in an extraction zone with a normally gaseous solvent selected from propane, butane, and mixtures thereof. As the resulting solvent/oil mixture is passed through the bed of extracted oil-bearing material, from the extraction zone, and to a separation zone, it is done so under conditions that will maintain the solvent in liquid form. The resulting extracted materials have substantially more of their protein and vitamin value intact when compared with similar materials extracted by more conventional high temperature methods. The present process is also a lower energy consuming process than more conventional, extractive processes.
Claims31
A process for extracting oil from oil-bearing materials, which process comprises:
- (a) introducing an oil-bearing material into an extraction zone;
- (b) removing air from said extraction zone;
- (c) introducing a normally gaseous solvent into said extraction zone;
- (d) providing a pressure and a temperature in said extraction zone which is effective for maintaining the normally gaseous solvent in a liquid phase;
- (e) passing said normally gaseous solvent through the bed of oil-bearing material in a manner to extract oil from said material;
- (f) introducing an inert gas into said extraction zone in a manner to displace said normally gaseous solvent and extracted oil from said extraction zone while maintaining temperatures and pressures in said extraction zone which are effective for maintaining said normally gaseous solvent in a liquid phase;
- (g) passing said displaced extracted oil and said normally gaseous solvent to a separation zone under temperature and pressure conditions which will maintain said normally gaseous solvent in liquid phase;
- (h) separating said normally gaseous solvent from said extracted oil in said separation zone;
- and
- (i) collecting said extracted oil.
A process for extracting oil from oil-bearing materials, which process comprises:
- (a) introducing an oil-bearing material into an extraction zone;
- (b) removing air from said extraction zone;
- (c) introducing a normally gaseous solvent into said extraction zone:
- (d) providing a pressure and a temperature in said extraction zone which is effective for maintaining the normally gaseous solvent in a liquid phase;
- (e) passing said normally gaseous solvent through the bed of oil-bearing material in a manner to extract oil from said material, wherein said normally gaseous solvent is periodically stressed during its passage through said oil-bearing material;
- (f) passing said displaced extracted oil and said normally gaseous solvent to a separation zone under temperature and pressure conditions which will maintain said normally gaseous solvent in liquid phase;
- (g) separating said normally gaseous solvent from said extracted oil in said separation zone;
- and
- (h) collecting said extracted oil.
A process for extracting oil from oil-bearing materials, which process comprises:
- (a) introducing an oil-bearing material into an extraction zone;
- (b) removing air from the extraction zone;
- (c) introducing a normally gaseous solvent into the extraction zone;
- (d) providing a pressure between 0.-200 psig and a temperature between 60.degree.-130.degree. F. in said extraction zone which is effective for maintaining the normally gaseous solvent in a liquid phase;
- (e) passing the normally gaseous solvent through the oil from the oil-bearing material thereby extracting oil from the oil-bearing material to from an oil-extracted material and extracted oil;
- (f) passing the extracted oil and the normally gaseous solvent from the extraction zone to a separation zone under conditions which will maintain the normally gaseous solvent in a liquid phase as the normally gaseous solvent is passed through the oil-bearing material, out of the extraction zone, and to the separation zone;
- (g) separating the normally gaseous solvent from the extracted oil in the separation zone and passing the normally gaseous solvent to a storage zone;
- and
- (h) collecting the extracted oil and the oil-extracted material, both of which are substantially free of the normally gaseous solvent.
A process for extracting oil for rice bran, which process comprises:
- (a) introducing rice bran into an extraction zone;
- (b) removing air from the extraction zone;
- (c) introducing a normally gaseous solvent selected from propane, butane, and mixtures thereof, into the extraction zone;
- (d) providing a pressure which is effective for maintaining the normally gaseous solvent in liquid form;
- (e) providing a temperature up to, but not including, the temperature at which denaturing of the proteins or vitamins of the rice bran occurs;
- (f) pass the normally gaseous solvent through the bed of oil-bearing material, thereby extracting oil from the material;
- (g) passing the resulting oil/solvent mixture from the extraction zone to a separation zone under conditions which will maintain the normally gaseous solvent in liquid form as it is passed through the bed of oil-bearing material, out of the extraction zone, and to the separation zone;
- (h) separating the normally gaseous solvent from the oil in a separation zone and passing the separated normally gaseous solvent to a storage zone wherein it can be recycled to the extraction zone;
- and
- (i) collecting the oil and extracted rice bran, both of which are substantially free of solvent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.