Caffeine recovery from activated carbon
AssigneeJacobs Suchard AG
InventorsStefan Sipos, Gabriel von Lengyel-Konopi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a process for recovering caffeine from caffeine-loaded activated carbon and which is characterized in that the caffeine destroying activity of the activated carbon is reduced before or after loading with caffeine. The activated carbon can to that end be treated with acids, buffers, complexing agents, redox substances, caffeine and other xanthine derivatives. The caffeine recovery yield can be considerably increased by this means.
Claims10
A process for recovering caffeine from caffeine-loaded activated carbon wherein the caffeine destroying activity of the activated carbon is reduced by treating the activated carbon with acids, buffers, complexing agents, redox substances, caffeine or xanthine derivatives other than caffeine at a solution concentration of about 0.001 to 10N, a temperature of 20.degree. to 180.degree. C. and a time period of 10 minutes to 3 hours, and then recovering the caffeine by thermal desorption/sublimation at temperatures between 250.degree. and 460.degree. C. using an inert gas sweeping stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.