Process for extracting lipids and organics from animal and plant matter or organics-containing waste streams

A solvent extraction process using a process solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the step of contacting said extractive-containing material with said process solvent in an extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and a extractive-depleted substrate, wherein said extraction zone comprises a vessel having walls forming a pressurized chamber in which is mounted a rotating helical auger screw conveyor having its auger screw positioned therein to receive said extractive-containing material, said walls being provided with a first opening through which said extractive-containing material can be introduced into said chamber, said walls being provided with a second opening separated from first opening through which said extractive-deleted substrate can exit from said extraction zone, said extractive-containing material being continuously fed through said first opening onto one end section of said auger conveyor, said auger screw being rotated to move said extractive-containing material at a controlled rate through said extraction zone to said second opening, said auger conveyor being further positioned to permit said process solvent to be distributed over the top surfaces of said extractive-containing material substance at one or more points along the length of said auger conveyor such that said process solvent flows by gravity down through said extractive-containing material as said auger screw conveys said extractive-containing material through said extraction zone to provide contact between said process solvent and said extractive-containing material that promotes extraction of said extractive by said process solvent to form said miscella and said extractive-depleted substrate;

• and wherein said walls are provided with at least one third opening over which is positioned a porous filter, said third opening positioned under said auger conveyor, said porous filter structured with pores sized to permit flow of said miscella through said pores and out of said extraction zone, and sized to substantially block flow of said extractive-depleted substrate.

A solvent extraction process using a process solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the step of contacting said extractive-containing material with said process solvent in an extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and a extractive-depleted substrate, wherein said extraction zone comprises a vessel having walls forming a pressurized chamber in which is mounted a continuous moving belt conveyor onto which said extractive-containing material is continuously fed at a controlled rate onto said belt conveyor, said belt conveyor transports said extractive-containing material at a controlled rate through said extraction zone while said process solvent is distributed over said extractive-containing material at a multiplicity of points along the length of said conveyor belt such that said process solvent flows down through said extractive-containing material and out of said extractive-containing material by gravity as said continuous belt conveyor carries said substance through said extraction zone to provide contact between said process solvent and said extractive-containing material to promote extraction of said extractive by said process solvent to form said miscella, said miscella being accumulated and then removed from said extraction zone, and the extractive-depleted substrate being conveyed by said conveyor belt out of the said extraction zone.

A solvent extraction process using a process solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the steps of:

• a. grinding and crushing said extractive-containing material in a first grinding zone to reduce particle size distribution of said extractive-containing material sufficient to enhance extraction of said extractive and to maintain a free flowing capability of said extractive-containing material after grinding;
• b. contacting the ground extractive-containing material with process solvent in a first extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and a extractive-depleted substrate;
• c. conveying said extractive-depleted substrate to a second grinding zone wherein said extractive-depleted substrate is ground under extraction conditions to a finer particle size distribution still sufficient to retain the free-flowing capability of the ground extractive-depleted substrate,
• d. contacting said ground extractive-depleted substrate with said process solvent in a second extraction zone to form a second miscella and a second extractive-depleted substrate essentially free of extractive;
• e. accumulating and then transferring said miscella and second miscella to a filtration zone wherein said miscella and second miscella under extraction conditions are passed through a microfiltration, an ultrafiltration, a nanofiltration, or a reverse osmosis filtration membrane to produce a liquid solvent-rich permeate and a extractive-rich retentate;
• and
• f. recycling all or part of said liquid solvent-rich permeate as all or part of said process solvent in said extraction zone or said second extraction zone.

In a solvent extraction process for the extraction of an extractive from an extractive-containing material employing in an extraction zone operating under extraction conditions a solvent consisting essentially of a process solvent, whereby a miscella and a extractive-depleted substrate is formed, the improvement to which comprises:

• (a) removing said miscella from said extraction zone under extraction conditions,
• (b) filtering said miscella by use of a microfiltration, an ultrafiltration, a nanofiltration, or a reverse osmosis membrane, under conditions to achieve a differential pressure across said membrane to maintain at least some of said process solvent in said miscella in a liquid state, to separate said process solvent in said miscella from said extractive in said miscella,
• (c) recycling under extraction conditions at least a portion of the separated solvent to said extraction zone;
• and
• (d) grinding said extractive-depleted substrate under extraction conditions to form a smaller particle sized extractive-depleted substrate.

A solvent extraction process using a solvent consisting essentially of a process solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the steps of:

• a. contacting said extractive-containing material with said solvent in an extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and an extractive-depleted substrate;
• b. separating said miscella from said extractive-depleted substract under extraction conditions;
• and
• c. filtering said miscella by use of a microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, or reverse osmosis filtration membrane under conditions to achieve a differential pressure across said membrane to form separated process solvent-rich permeate and an extractive-rich retentate streams.

A solvent extraction process using a solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the steps of:

• a. contacting said extractive-containing material with said solvent in an extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and an extractive-depleted substrate;
• b. separating said miscella from said extractive-depleted substract under extraction conditions;
• and
• c. filtering said miscella by use of a microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, or reverse osmosis high volume filtration membrane under conditions to achieve a differential pressure across said membrane to form separated process solvent-rich permeate and an extractive-rich retentate streams.

A solvent extraction process using a solvent to extract an extractive from an extractive-containing material, the process comprising the steps of:

• a. contacting said extractive-containing material with said solvent in an extraction zone operated under extraction conditions to form a miscella and an extractive-depleted substrate;
• b. separating said miscella from said extractive-depleted substract under extraction conditions;
• and
• c. filtering said miscella by use of a ceramic filter constructed having a flow through center wall having pores of a pre-determined pore size under conditions to achieve a differential pressure across said center wall to form separated solvent-rich permeate and extractive-rich retentate screams;
• wherein said filtering of said miscella through said filter is performed under conditions necessary for at least some of said solvent to remain in a liquid state;
• and subjecting said retentate from step (c) to stripping conditions in a stripping zone such that residual solvent that may be present in said retentate is stripped out of said retentate to produce an extractive that is essentially free of said solvent and to produce a vapor stream comprising solvent in a vapor state.

In a solvent extraction process for the extraction of an extractive from an extractive-containing material employing in an extraction zone operating under extraction conditions a solvent consisting essentially of a process solvent;

• whereby a miscella and a extractive-depleted substrate is formed, the improvement to which comprises:
• (a) removing said miscella from said extraction zone under extraction conditions,
• (b) filtering at temperatures up to 140.degree. F. and pressures less than 200 psig said miscella by use of a microfiltration, an ultrafiltration, a nanofiltration, or a reverse osmosis membrane, under conditions to achieve a differential pressure across said membrane to maintain at least some of said process solvent in said miscella in a liquid state, to separate said process solvent in said miscella from said extractive in said miscella, and
• (c) recycling under extraction conditions at least a portion of the separated solvent to said extraction zone.