| abstract |
The invention relates to a process for extracting oil from an oil bearing plant material with the use of a solvent suitable for dissolving the oil in the plant material. Grounded plant material is deposited into a reactor vessel, and vacuum is created in the reactor vessel. Liquid solvent is introduced into the reactor vessel and allowed to contact the plant material for a time sufficient to dissolve oil from the plant material, while the temperature in the reactor vessel is maintained at a level which prevents denaturing of constituent components of the plant oil and the plant material. Additional solvent vapors are introduced into the bottom of the reactor to cause mixing of the plant material and the solvent and separate fine particulate matter from heavier particles. Pressurized heated solvent vapors are introduced into the top of the reactor vessel while the liquid solvent and oil combination is being removed from the bottom of the reactor vessel through filters. To prevent clogging of filters in the bottom of the reactor vessel pressurized solvent vapors are forced through the filters into the bottom of the reactor vessel. The solvent and oil combination is transferred into a separator vessel, wherein the solvent is vaporized and removed for recycling, while the oil is removed into a holding tank. |