Processes and apparatus for extraction of substances and enriched extracts from plant material

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to scalable processes for extracting, refining and fractionating extracts of natural products, such as plant material and for providing well controlled refined extracts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An integrated modular system for extracting, refining, and fractionating plant constituents, comprising:
 a) a biomass feeding unit;   b) at least one solvent extraction unit;   c) a first refining unit;   d) a second refining unit;   e) at least one chemical conversion unit; and   f) a third refining unit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biomass feeding unit further comprises a biomass grinding unit, sizing unit, sorting unit, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the sizing unit comprises a screen that the plant material passes through. 
     
     
         4 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein the sorting unit separates the plant material by density. 
     
     
         5 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 4 , further comprising at least one solvent recycling unit. 
     
     
         6 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 5 , further comprising pumps, pipes, and conveyors for transferring the biomass. 
     
     
         7 . The system of any of  claims 1 - 6 , wherein the system is designed and constructed for continuous extracting, refining and fractionating high purity constituents from plant material. 
     
     
         8 . The system of any of  claims 1 - 7 , further comprising:
 a) a central computer control;   b) control valves;   c) monitors and sensors for continuously monitoring temperature, pressure, or flow.   
     
     
         9 . The system of any one of  claims 5 - 8 , wherein the at least one solvent recycling unit comprises:
 i) at least one decanting tank;   ii) at least one evaporating system equipped with barometric condensers, wherein solvent and, optionally, water vapors are collected and transferred to the decanting tank;   iii) at least one stripper distillation system, wherein a distillate is collected and transferred to the decanting tank;   iv) at least one decanting system, wherein an aqueous phase is transferred to the at least one stripper distillation system to recover a solvent;   v) at least one press, wherein a pressed depleted biomass is transferred to a dryer, wherein subsequent liquids are transferred for further refining;   vi) at least one dryer, wherein solvent and, optionally, water vapors are collected and transferred to the decanting tank, wherein the solids comprise (a) depleted plant material after extraction and (b) loaded solid adsorbents;   vii) at least one chiller, wherein a solvent is chilled to a temperature; and   viii) at least one pump and piping system.   
     
     
         10 . The system of any of  claims 1 - 9 , wherein the plant biomass comprises  cannabis.    
     
     
         11 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 10 , wherein the first refining unit comprises:
 i) at least one column of granulated activated carbon (GAC); and   ii) at least one barometric evaporator.   
     
     
         12 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 11 , wherein the second refining unit comprises:
 i) at least one temperature-controlled stirring tank;   ii) at least one filter;   iii) at least one decanting tank;   iv) at least one buffering tank;   v) at least one ion exchange column;   vi) at least one barometric evaporator;   vii) at least one decanter tank; and   viii) at least one settler.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least a second temperature-controlled stirring tank, a second filter, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 13 , wherein the at least one chemical conversion unit comprises a stirred heating tank. 
     
     
         15 . The system of any one of  claims 1 - 14 , wherein the third refining unit comprises a distillation unit. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the distillation unit comprises a short path distillation unit.