What is a Closed Loop Extractor?
A closed-loop extractor is a device used to extract solvents from solid substances. It’s a loop system. It is widely used for cannabis concentration in the industry. It is the equipment of transferring a solute substance from one solvent to another by utilizing the difference in solubility or partition coefficient of the substance in two mutually incompatible (or slightly soluble) solvents. It is widely used in chemical, metallurgical, food, and other industries, commonly used in the petroleum refining industry. It has gained popularity in a great number of fields because it has high efficiency in providing pure extracted solvents. It is widely used in industrial cannabinoid extraction. During the entire operation of the closed-loop extractor, all the parts of the plant are coordinated for solvent extraction. Solvents can be used and recycled in closed-loop extractors, which are very economical for the user and environmentally friendly for people.
What are Parts of a Closed Loop Extractor?
A closed-loop extractor mainly consists of three parts: a solvent tank, a material column, and a receiving foundation. Some upgraded versions add a dewaxing column as the fourth part or equip the material column with a dewaxing structure directly. The closed loop hydrocarbon extraction system is used to conduct a plant extraction in a sealed vacuum system. The closed-loop system can be kept during the plant extraction without exposing any solvent to the air. The butane, propane, or the combination of them are generally used as the solvent.
The parts in a closed loop extractor equipment are mainly as follows:
1. High-quality pressurized solvent tank with butane or propane is very necessary for closed loop extractor equipment. In the meanwhile, tubes and valves are also essential for the closed loop equipment, which is to connect all parts.
2. In the closed loop extractor equipment, the pressurized pump is to spray solvent on the plant materials. And after extracted substances are pumped out by a pressurized pump, the extracted materials are then placed into a vacuum oven for the next step, which is closed-loop extraction.
3. Vacuum pump is used to provide a vacuum environment for the whole equipment, in order to make the residual bubbles of butane or solvent in the still-unfinished concentrate out.
4. Heating procedure. In this step, you need to heat the concentrated substances in the vacuum oven for at least ten hours, in order to get residual substances evaporated.
There is something you need to pay attention to before you turn on the equipment power supply in order to make sure the power supply is connected; what’s more, check the seal and container to keep a vacuum environment. After the working process is finished, remember to take the residual substances out and clean the equipment regularly.
Classifications of Closed Loop Extractors
In terms of ways of solvent injection, closed loop extractors can be classified into the top filled closed loop extractors and the bi-directional closed loop extractors. In terms of ways of solvent movement, closed loop extractors can be classified into passive closed loop extractors and active closed loop extractors.
Tips for Using a Closed Loop Extractor
As we all know, a closed loop extractor is very complicated equipment, so we are supposed to know some tips when we use this equipment. We will take processing hemp as an example:
1. The way you prepare your hemp plant materials will directly influence the end product you get. Because there are so many cells within the hemp plant materials, if you put the plant in the wrong way, the cells will get destroyed, which will directly cause a very bad end product.
2. Maybe some people wonder that how users recognize hemp plant materials get totally extracted. The way to recognize it is, the solvent with no color represents the hemp plant materials getting totally extracted and there is barely any CBD within it.
3. We all know that the extraction of CBD is under low temperature because the low temperature can keep the water within hemp plant materials stay inside.
It is important to pay attention to these operating tips when you operate closed-loop extraction equipment because these tips can keep you safe and help you get high efficiency.
