Extractor and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843103-B2
Application number	US-201916371765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Sep 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

An extractor suitable for using a solvent to separate a compound from a solid or semisolid substance containing the compound. The extractor includes a conveying assembly having an inclined conveyor for receiving the substance from a substance inlet and moving the substance through the solvent, an inclined upper surface associated with the first conveyor and an inclined lower surface associated with the first conveyor. The conveyor is configured to move the substance downward through the solvent along the upper surface toward a lower end of the conveyor and upward through the solvent along the lower surface toward an upper end of the conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extractor suitable for using a solvent to separate a compound from a solid or semi-solid substance containing the compound, comprising:
a tank configured to contain solvent at a predetermined level within;
a substance inlet for introducing the solid or semi-solid substance into the extractor;
a substance outlet for removing the solid or semi-solid substance from the extractor;
a solvent inlet for introducing the solvent into the extractor;
a solvent outlet for removing the solvent from the extractor; and
a first conveying assembly including:
an inclined first conveyor for receiving the solid or semi-solid substance from the substance inlet and moving the solid or semi-solid substance through the solvent within the tank, the inclined first conveyor including an upper end and a lower end opposite its upper end;
wherein the inclined first conveyor includes an inclined first upper surface and an inclined first lower surface having an upper terminal end;
wherein the inclined first conveyor is configured to move the solid or semi-solid substance downward through the solvent within the tank and along the inclined first upper surface toward the lower end and upward through the solvent within the tank and along the inclined first lower surface toward the upper end, and
wherein the upper terminal end of the inclined first lower surface is positioned at or below the predetermined level for solvent within the tank;

the extractor characterized in that it includes
an inclined neck section; and
an exit conveyor positioned between the inclined first conveyor and the substance outlet and substantially parallel to the inclined first conveyor, the exit conveyor including an upper end and a lower end opposite its upper end;
an inclined exit upper surface associated with the exit conveyor;
an inclined exit lower surface associated with the exit conveyor and at least partially comprising an inclined screen section configured to allow solvent to drain from the solid or semi-solid substance;
wherein the exit conveyor is configured to move the solid or semi-solid substance downward through the solvent within the tank and along the inclined exit upper surface of the exit conveyor toward the exit conveyor lower end and upward through the solvent along the inclined exit lower surface toward the exit conveyor upper end and then along the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor toward the upper end of the exit conveyor,
wherein the exit conveyor has a length that is greater than the length of the inclined first conveyor of the first conveying assembly, the greater length allowing the exit conveyor to extend upward through the inclined neck section, and
wherein the compound comprises rubber and the solid or semi-solid substance comprises plant matter.

2. The extractor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second conveying assembly positioned between the first conveying assembly and the exit conveyor, the second conveying assembly including:
a second inclined conveyor positioned between the inclined first conveyor and the substance outlet and substantially parallel to the inclined first conveyor, the second inclined conveyor including an upper end and a lower end opposite its upper end;
wherein the second inclined conveyor includes an inclined second upper surface and an inclined second lower surface;
wherein the second conveyor is configured to move the solid or semi-solid substance downward through the solvent within the tank and along the inclined second upper surface toward the second conveyor lower end and upward through the solvent within the tank and along the inclined second lower surface toward the second conveyor upper end.

3. The extractor of claim 2 , wherein the upper terminal end of the inclined first lower surface is positioned above the second inclined conveyor such that the solid or semi-solid substance falls from the inclined first lower surface toward the inclined second upper surface when moved beyond the upper terminal end by the inclined first conveyor.

4. The extractor of claim 2 , wherein the exit conveyor has a length that is approximately 175% to approximately 200% the length of the second inclined conveyor.

5. The extractor of claim 2 , further comprising a separator in fluid communication with the solvent outlet, the separator configured to separate small particles of substance from solvent as it exits the solvent outlet.

6. The extractor of claim 2 , wherein the substance outlet includes a run-down screen configured to receive solvent and solid or semi-solid substance from the exit conveyor and allow at least a portion of the solvent to drain from the solid or semi-solid substance while on the screen; wherein the run-down screen has no moving parts and allows for removal of the solid or semi-solid substance from the run-down screen by gravity.

7. A method of separating a compound from a solid or semi-solid substance using at least one solvent in the tank of the extractor of claim 2 , the method comprising:
a. introducing the solid or semi-solid substance into a pool of the at least one solvent in the tank, wherein the at least one solvent is capable of dissolving the compound;
b. conveying the solid or semi-solid substance downward along the inclined first upper surface through the pool of the at least one solvent in the tank;
c. conveying the solid or semi-solid substance upward along the second inclined first lower surface through the pool of the at least one solvent in the tank;
d. repeating steps (b) and (c) for the second conveying assembly; and
e. conveying the solid or semi-solid substance upward along the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor to separate the at least one solvent from the solid or semi-solid substance,
wherein the solid or semi-solid substance introduced into the pool of at least one solvent comprises plant matter and the compound comprises rubber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the solid or semi-solid substance introduced into the pool is guayule biomass and the substance conveyed upward along the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor is guayule biomass.

9. The extractor of claim 1 , wherein the exit conveyor has a length that is approximately 175% to approximately 200% the length of the inclined first conveyor.

10. The extractor of claim 1 , wherein the solvent inlet is configured to spray solvent onto the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor.

11. The extractor of claim 1 , wherein the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor comprises 40% to 55% of the length of the exit conveyor.

12. The extractor of claim 2 , wherein the inclined screen section of the exit conveyor comprises 40% to 55% of the length of the exit conveyor.

13. The extractor of claim 1 , further comprising a separator in fluid communication with the solvent outlet, the separator configured to separate small particles of solid or semi-solid substance from solvent as it exits the solvent outlet.

14. The extractor of claim 1 , wherein the substance outlet includes a run-down screen configured to receive solvent and solid or semi-solid substance from the exit conveyor and allow at least a portion of the solvent to drain from the solid or semi-solid substance while on the screen; wherein the run-down screen has no moving parts and allows for removal of the solid or semi-solid substance from the run-down screen by gravity.

15. The extractor of claim 1 , wherein the inclined first conveyor and the exit conveyor each include paddles configured to assist in moving the solid or semi-solid substance along the upper and lower surfaces associated with e

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• White Robert W
• Hartzell Michael R

Classifications

• B01D11/0284

  Multistage extraction · CPC title

• C08C1/04

  Purifying; Deproteinising · CPC title

• B01D11/023 Primary

  using moving bands, trays fixed on moving transport chains · CPC title

• B03B5/08

  on vanners · CPC title

• B01D2011/002

  Counter-current extraction · CPC title