Botanical Oil Extraction Method and System

Abstract

A method and apparatus for extracting botanical oil from botanical mass includes milling the biomass and chilling the milled biomass. The biomass is then exposed to a chilled ethanol solvent. Water is added and the solution introduced into a first centrifuge. The clean ethanol slurry is then introduced into an evaporator leaving a two-phase mixture which is introduced into a second centrifuge which separates the water from the pure botanical oil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for extracting botanical oil from botanical biomass comprising:
 a feed hopper configured to receive botanical biomass;   a pre-screener that receives the botanical biomass from the feed hopper and removes undesirable materials from the botanical biomass to provide pre-screened botanical biomass;   a milling system comprising a miller, a diverter valve, and a heat exchanger that receives the pre-screened botanical biomass from the pre-screener and circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass through the miller, the diverter valve, and the heat exchanger to provide a chilled botanical biomass, wherein the miller increases the surface area of the pre-screened botanical biomass, wherein the diverter valve controls flow of the pre-screened botanical biomass, and wherein the heat exchanger removes heat from the pre-screened botanical biomass;   an extractor that receives the chilled botanical biomass from the milling system via the diverter valve and introduces a solvent onto the chilled botanical biomass to solvate at least a portion of the chilled botanical biomass to provide at least a spent portion of the chilled botanical biomass and a botanical biomass solution;   a mixing valve that receives the botanical biomass solution from the extractor and introduces water into the botanical biomass solution to cause other undesirable materials of the botanical biomass solution to precipitate and provide a botanical biomass slurry;   a first centrifuge that receives the botanical biomass slurry from the mixing valve and removes at least a portion of the precipitated undesirable materials from the botanical biomass slurry via centripetal force to provide a second botanical biomass solution;   an evaporator that receives the second botanical biomass solution from the first centrifuge and separates the solvent from the second botanical biomass solution to provide a mixture comprising at least the water and botanical oil;   a second centrifuge that receives the mixture from the evaporator and removes at least a portion of the water from the mixture via centripetal force to isolate the botanical oil.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the undesirable materials from the botanical biomass is discharged to a receiving bin. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spent portion of the chilled botanical and associated attached liquid is discharged to a receiving bin. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the precipitated undesirable materials and associated attached liquid is discharged to a receiving bin. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent separated from the second botanical biomass solution is recycled for use by the extractor. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the water removed from the mixture is recycled for use by the mixing valve. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more feed screws to facilitate conveyance of the pre-screened botanical biomass, the chilled botanical biomass, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more positive displacement pumps to facilitate conveyance of the botanical biomass solution, the solvent, the water, the botanical oil, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more buffer tanks to compensate for process losses in the solvent, the water, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the milling system circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to increase surface area to volume ratio of the pre-screened botanical biomass to a value greater than 500 to 1. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the milling system circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to reduce temperature of the pre-screened botanical biomass to less than 32° F. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the extractor tumbles the chilled botanical biomass and introduces the solvent composition onto the chilled botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to elevate the solvated chilled botanical biomass within the solvent to approximately 50% of total solubility of the chilled botanical biomass. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second centrifuges each have a stack disc, self-cleaning, separator design. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator has a falling film, concurrent design. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent introduced to the chilled botanical biomass and separated from the second botanical biomass solution is ethanol. 
     
     
         16 . A system for extracting botanical oil from botanical biomass comprising:
 a feed hopper configured to receive botanical biomass;   a pre-screener that receives the botanical biomass from the feed hopper and removes undesirable materials from the botanical biomass to provide pre-screened botanical biomass;   a milling system comprising a miller, a diverter valve, and a heat exchanger that receives the pre-screened botanical biomass from the pre-screener and circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass through the miller, the diverter valve, and the heat exchanger to provide a chilled botanical biomass, wherein the miller increases the surface area of the pre-screened botanical biomass, wherein the diverter valve controls flow of the pre-screened botanical biomass, and wherein the heat exchanger removes heat from the pre-screened botanical biomass;   an extractor that receives the chilled botanical biomass from the milling system via the diverter valve and introduces a solvent onto the chilled botanical biomass to solvate at least a portion of the chilled botanical biomass to provide at least a spent portion of the chilled botanical biomass and a botanical biomass solution comprising at least the solvent and botanical oil;   an evaporator that receives the botanical biomass solution from the extractor and separates the solvent from the botanical biomass solution to isolate the botanical oil.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the milling system circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to increase surface area to volume ratio of the pre-screened botanical biomass to a value greater than 500 to 1. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the milling system circulates the pre-screened botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to reduce temperature of the pre-screened botanical biomass to less than 32° F. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the extractor tumbles the chilled botanical biomass and introduces the solvent composition onto the chilled botanical biomass for a period of time sufficient to elevate the solvated chilled botanical biomass within the solvent to approximately 50% of total solubility of the chilled botanical biomass. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the solvent introduced to the chilled botanical biomass and separated from the botanical biomass solution is ethanol.