Method and apparatus for extracting botanical oils

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to methods and systems for extracting oil from plant material. A system may comprise a gas moving device, an extraction chamber, and a condensation surface. Oil of the plant material may be volatized in the extraction chamber and then propelled by the gas moving device to the condensation surface to be collected. In various embodiments, the systems and methods allow the extraction of oil from plant material with little or no solvent.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to extract an oil from a plant material, comprising:
 providing the plant material;   providing a system for extracting the oil from the plant material, wherein the system comprises (a) a gas moving device operable to propel a gas stream through the system, (b) an extraction chamber in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed through the extraction chamber, (c) a condensation surface in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface; and (d) a plant material separation device operable to separate at least a portion of any plant material that is entrained in the gas stream from the gas stream after the gas stream exits the extraction chamber and before the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface;   feeding the plant material into the extraction chamber;   propelling the gas stream through the extraction chamber to entrain the plant material in the gas stream;   volatizing the oil from the plant material that is entrained in the gas stream such that the oil is extracted from the plant material and into the gas stream;   separating at least a portion of the plant material from the gas stream, wherein the plant material separation device performs the separating;   cooling the gas stream containing the oil;   directing the gas stream containing the oil to the condensation surface;   contacting the gas stream with the condensation surface to capture and remove a portion of the oil from the gas stream;   maintaining the condensation surface at an angle and a temperature that result in a parallel component of gravitational force that is greater than the resistance of the portion of the oil to flow; and   collecting the portion of the oil from the condensation surface to produce a collected oil.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the gas stream comprises spraying a solvent into the gas stream at a rate of at least 0.0002 and no greater than 1.0 gallons per minute. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the gas stream comprises less than 25 percent solvent vapor by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the oil that is captured and removed from the gas stream comprises less than 25 percent solvent by weight. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the collected oil comprises less than 25 percent solvent by weight. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the collected oil is a mixture that comprises the solvent and plant oils;   the plant oils have a higher boiling point than the solvent; and   the method further comprises evaporating the solvent from the collected oil to separate the plant oils from the solvent.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein evaporating the solvent comprises applying a vacuum to the collected oil. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising grinding the plant material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising feeding the plant material into the extraction chamber at a rate of at least 0.03 and no greater than 10 pounds per minute. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein propelling the gas stream through the extraction chamber comprises propelling the gas stream at a rate of at least 30 and no greater than 500 standard cubic feet per minute. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the condensation surface at an angle of at least −90 degrees and no greater than 60 degrees relative to the force of gravity, wherein:
 surfaces of at least −90 degrees and less than 0 degrees are ceilings; 
 surfaces of exactly 0 degrees are walls that are parallel to the force of gravity; and 
 surfaces of greater than 0 degrees and no greater than 60 degrees are inclined planes. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the condensation surface at a temperature of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no greater than 440 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condensation surface is a surface of a tube-in-shell heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein collecting the portion of the oil comprises collecting an oleoresin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein collecting the portion of the oil comprises collecting a terpene, a terpenoid, or both a terpene and a terpenoid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein collecting the portion of the oil comprises collecting either linalool, caryophyllene, myrcene, limonene, humulene, pinene, or a combination of two or more of the preceding molecules. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the plant material comprises either (i) providing hemp, (ii) providing cannabis, or (iii) providing a composition that comprises either hemp, cannabis, or both hemp and cannabis. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein collecting the portion of the oil comprises collecting either cannabigerol, cannabidiol, cannabidivarin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabichromene, cannabinol, or two or more of the preceding molecules. 
     
     
         19 . A method to extract an oil from a plant material, comprising:
 providing the plant material, wherein the plant material is either a ground plant material or a powdered plant material;   providing a system for extracting the oil from the plant material, wherein the system comprises (a) a gas moving device operable to propel a gas stream through the system, (b) an extraction chamber in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed through the extraction chamber, (c) a condensation surface in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface; and (d) a plant material separation device operable to separate at least a portion of any plant material that is entrained in the gas stream from the gas stream after the gas stream exits the extraction chamber and before the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface;   feeding the plant material into the extraction chamber at a rate of at least 0.03 and no greater than 10 pounds per minute;   propelling the gas stream through the extraction chamber to entrain the plant material in the gas stream;   volatizing the oil from the plant material that is entrained in the gas stream such that the oil is extracted from the plant material and into the gas stream;   separating at least a portion of the plant material from the gas stream, wherein the plant material separation device performs the separating;   spraying a solvent into the gas stream at a rate of at least 0.0002 and no greater than 1.0 gallons per minute to cool the gas stream containing the oil;   directing the gas stream containing the oil to the condensation surface;   contacting the gas stream with the condensation surface to capture and remove a portion of the oil from the gas stream;   collecting the portion of the oil from the condensation surface to produce a collected oil, wherein the collected oil is a mixture that comprises the solvent and plant oils; and   evaporating the solvent from the collected oil to separate the plant oils from the solvent, wherein evaporating the solvent comprises applying a vacuum to the collected oil.   
     
     
         20 . A method to extract an oil from a plant material, comprising:
 providing the plant material;   providing a system for extracting the oil from the plant material, wherein the system comprises (a) a gas moving device operable to propel a gas stream through the system, (b) an extraction chamber in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed through the extraction chamber, (c) a condensation surface in communication with the gas moving device such that the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface; and (d) a plant material separation device operable to separate at least a portion of any plant material that is entrained in the gas stream from the gas stream after the gas stream exits the extraction chamber and before the gas stream is directed to the condensation surface;   grinding the plant material to convert the plant material into a ground plant material;   feeding the ground plant material into the extraction chamber at a rate of at least 0.03 and no greater than 10 pounds per minute;   propelling the gas stream through the extraction chamber at a rate of at least 30 and no greater than 500 standard cubic feet per minute to entrain the ground plant material in the gas stream;   volatizing the oil from the ground plant material that is entrained in the gas stream such that the oil is extracted from the ground plant material and into the gas stream;   separating at least a portion of the ground plant material from the gas stream, wherein the plant material separation device performs the separating;   directing the gas stream containing the oil to the condensation surface;   contacting the gas stream with the condensation surface to capture and remove a portion of the oil from the gas stream; and   collecting the portion of the oil from the condensation surface to produce a collected oil.