I make various essential oil extractors, including an at
home supercritical carbon dioxide system. These oils can be used for
aromatherapy, homeopathic medicines, and many other uses of essential plant
oils. When I conduct extractions I update the progress on the blog. Thanks for
taking a look around, feel free to contact me. - JY
New At-Home Supercritical Fluid Extractors
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 11:59 PM
Hello Everyone,
I have finally replaced the EnJYN Scuba tank based system
with a custom stainless steel vessel.
The Joe Blow
These can be used to slowly flow through supercritical CO2
at up to 1800PSI, and the pressure vessels can be filled, sealed off, and
heated to achieve up to 4000PSI.
I am only offering a 3oz size and an 8oz size to be used at
home. Larger capacities will only be offered in closed loop reclaiming systems.
The 3oz I am selling $1299 and the 8oz for $2195
Finally, an added and unintentional bonus is that by
removing the quick connect from the hose and upper plug, cans of butane can be
used if desired. Both supercritical carbon dioxide extracts and butane
dissolved extracts can be made in this set-up without modification.
The collection container now included is twice the diameter
of the one in the video below, this allows the carbon dioxide to
evaporate/sublimate from the essential oil more readily. The additional benefit
is the ease of removing the extract from the container.
New Instructions
Thursday, April 10, 2014 11:00 PM
Check out the new set of at-home EnJYN instructions, written
by a customer from hands-on experience. Hopefully it is easier to make sense of
than my own ramblings! Thank you s.J
Going Going Back Back To ....
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 4:54 AM
I will be in California for the next few days. Back on the
weekend. Also, I finally have a logo I will put up on my site when I get back.
Very Easy Access Stainless Steel Pressure Vessel
Monday, February 24, 2014 12:09 PM
This is my patented design with plugs, no welding at all in
the pressure vessel. The design is strong enough for 3800PSI.
Check out how easy it is to remove the ends for loading/unloading
and cleaning.
Another Set Of My Stainless Pressure Vessel
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 12:30 PM
Showing a vertical extraction position, supercritical CO2
can be pushed in through the bottom or top. Depending on the end set-up.
Stainless Steel Pressure Vessel Proof Run
Monday, February 10, 2014 2:01 AM
These are proof runs of my stainless steel pass-through
extractor, not the retail version by any means. The collection vessel of course
will be a large diameter spool, I just can't seem to keep any when I have them
in stock.
This new method and design is using one continuous
extraction at pressures of 1800PSI and below (Actually I capped it at 1500PSI).
The temperature and pressure ratings of the aluminum storage vessel are never
exceeded at any point.
My stainless steel design allows for up to 3800PSI and so if
desired it can be sealed and heated much like the SCUBA tank. That is not the
intention, however. This system is meant for convenience for the small
commercial market.
I like to show the dirty along with the pretty, so here are
some quick and dirty videos of my new design of pressure vessels and a lavender
crumble extraction.
Crumble Video
Saturday, February 08, 2014 9:47 AM
As promised, I have made a pass through extractor using my
stainless steel pressure vessel design which pops in briefly in this video.
This is the end of the first extraction. I have made a longer video showing the
process but I am still editing it. Just wanted to get this out to everyone.
For this I put together something from parts I had around
because I am impatient. Next week I hope to have a video with the full retail
system, the $5500 small commercial level. I am only waiting on shiny parts.
DIY CO2 Crumble, Shatter
Friday, January 31, 2014 1:18 AM
I posted a long how to for DIYers and anyone curious about
how to make firm and shatter like oils with super-critical CO2 at home.
In it I explain how to make a collection vessel among other
things.
Check it out here.
Errrrrrrrrrr!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 11:30 PM
Note to anyone who blogs, use a text editor like Word, use a
clipboard manager (Word has one built in), and save drafts constantly! Not that
this is the first time this has happened (so shame on me), but I lost a good
portion of a very long page of information that I was typing.
I think I learned my lesson this time.
Tri Clamp Canisters Are Here
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 12:44 AM
All 316 Stainless Steel. Click the photos to redirect to the
product page.
1L
2L
3L
5L
Is JYNdustriez A SCAM?!?!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 12:27 PM
No.
This is a question some may wonder, and apparently it is
even being insinuated by larger companies that it is true.
I am fully aware that I am new and have very little brand
recognition. That is something that will be changing over the coming spring.
Part of my focus will go into things like more user friendly instructions,
prettier packaging, and my company "image". Public relations are not
my strong suit and I am the type that would be fine locked in a work space
experimenting, building, and testing all day.
Look me up. If there is any doubt in your mind as to my
legitimacy, I am the registered owner of JYNdustriez LLC in Texas and I pay
federal tax, as well as state sales tax for any local sales.
My passion will always be designing and improving extractors
for the effective removal of essential oils from all plant material. So far it
has been explicitly for non-polar solvents, but I look forward to including
polar solvents as well for plants like Stevia, and other sugar alcohol
containing plants where the desired compounds are mostly polar.
Regardless of doubt surrounding my company or myself, I will
continue building new machines and updating my methods. My commitment is to my
craft and my customers. It is my privilege to be able to work on something I
love and to have all of you that support what I do. Thank you. - JY
Challenges Of Low-Cost CO2/Finding My Market
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 2:00 AM
As I am finding my place in the market, I have decided to
turn away from large commercial systems and release and offer a mid level
system for commercial interests. From correspondence and research, the majority
of small to medium commercial operations desire a machine for less than $10K
that can handle a suitable amount of plant material (1-3lbs) and process it in
one day or less, at as low of a temperature as possible.
The simplest way to make this happen at low cost, is to use
a system that does not rely on a mechanical pump to supply the force needed for
extraction as well as movement of solvent through the system.
There are challenges with this type of design, however.
First, the solvent is not reclaimed, and so maximizing the use of the solvent
is critical. This is what lead me to use SCUBA tanks because after researching
solubility of essential oils in SCCO2 I learned they are more soluble when the
solvent is at higher pressures, temperatures, and densities. The negative to
this is that the plant is not continuously extracted. It is extracted in
iterations of a process, or "runs", and so takes much more time to
complete.
The second issue is simply the amount of solvent that is
exposed to the plant, is much less than with pump systems. In a pump design the
plant material can come into contact with hundreds or thousands of pounds of
the solvent because it is continuously pumped and distilled through the
extractor. In passive extractions that done in sets, the amount of solvent in
contact with the plant is limited by the volume of the pressure vessel, and the
number of runs conducted on the same plant material.
A third challenge is temperature. Due to the inability to
easily force larger masses of carbon dioxide into fixed volumes at any fill
level desired, heat alone must be used to achieve the high pressures needed for
extraction. I control this to an extent by warming the storage vessel as I fill
my extraction tanks to force a slight overfilling of the cylinder. This allows
somewhat lower temperatures to be used for extractions.
You have to face facts, if you do not invest a larger amount
initially in a reclaiming extractor, it will cost more per extraction because
of the solvent requirements. Thankfully, the solubility of most essential oils
are such that it makes great economic sense even if the solvent is not
reclaimed.
So, with all of these considerations in mind. I have
developed a pass through stainless steel extractor. It is something that can be
attached inline to the EnJYN transfer assembly and collection container, should
previous customers desire to move up in production level. All you will need is
a source of liquid CO2 and your herbs.
The current design allows simple, one-step extractions, in
stainless steel vessels. Meaning acidic or wet material is not a problem where
corrosion is concerned. So all manner of plant, citrus fruit, seeds, etc can be
extracted this way. You open a valve and allow the solvent to flow, at the end
you scrape out your extract and that's it.
The extractions will be below 1800PSI and 120F (standard
CGA320 limits) unless higher pressure and temperature is desired. The ability
to fill, and seal the extractor to achieve higher temp and pressures is there,
but not required. Why this is desireable is that after a long pass through
extraction at low temp and pressure, which will pick up almost all terpenes and
some heavier essential oils, you can do two or three short 10-15min higher
pressure iterations at up to 3200PSI to collect waxes and the final yield from
your plant. In this manner high yield can be achieved, while preserving and
collecting the delicate aromatics in the early part of the extraction.
Although this method is not quite as efficient in the use of
CO2 compared with my SCUBA method, it seems that most are more turned off by
high temperatures and lengthier extractions, than using a little more solvent.
CO2, if you shop around, is relatively cheap. In fact, I pay less per lb of
liquid food grade CO2 than I do for dry ice. Usually $1 per lb if you own your
own cylinder and find somewhere that has a pump and bulk tank to fill.
The systems will start at $5500 (16-20oz of plant, uses less
than $125 in CO2 to extract). If the extraction is to be done indoors, for
instance at a storefront, I will also provide lines to vent the CO2 outdoors.
!Coming Soon!
Tuesday, January 07, 2014 3:19 AM
Due to all the inquiries about components of my system and
various items that I use to make my extractors, I am going to start carrying
some of these things.
The first will be some 316 Stainless Steel Canisters that
have Tri-clamp lids. I will carry 1,2,3, and 5L canisters. Why are these
different than sanitary spools? The canister is formed from a single plate of
metal, much like SCUBA tanks. Therefore they work well for moderate pressure
applications 200PSI and under.
The lids will all come equipped with two female NPT fittings
welded to them. 1-2L will have 1/4 FNPT and 3-5L will have 1/2 FNPT. The
fittings can be used to turn these into reclaim vessels, open butane
extractors, SCFE collection vessels when properly relieved, and many other
projects. If only one port is needed a threaded plug can be inserted to blank
one fitting.
They use standard sanitary gaskets which I will carry in
nitrile mostly, as it makes a good material for most solvents.
They will be available for sale in the next week or two.
All Containers Include:
Canister
Clamp
Lid w Fittings
Single Gasket
I will stock a few basic threaded adapters as well. My
product line will always be growing.
Concerning Heat and CO2 Extractions
Friday, December 20, 2013 10:42 PM
There are concerns, particularly in my at-home method about
the heat involved used to extract the essential oils and decomposition from exposure
to higher temperatures.
I would like to address this. First, the extractions are
carried out typically at 85C (185F) and below. This is below the temperature
used for steam distillation. The extraction is happening in a very low oxygen
environment so there is a process call pyrolysis which is of most concern to
us. This is a process of irreversible thermal degradation, ie your terpenes,
oils, and waxes get ruined. There is undoubtedly some going on, however it does
not become substantial until temperatures above the boiling point of water
100C.
Further, the extractions are conducted at high pressures
which greatly increase the boiling point of your favorite compounds.
Considering the fact that it must be occurring on a small
scale even at my lower temperatures, it is best to limit extraction times to
1hr each when at 85C and ~4000PSI. If you wish to retain the most aromatic
compounds and you have alot of free time, conduct three or four extractions at
pressures of ~2500PSI for an hour per. Then three more at >4000PSI to collect
high molecular weight oils, and waxes. This way the more fragile oils avoid
pyrolysis.
If you are extracting highly aromatic fragrances and
flavorings, like rosemary, lavender, jasmine, rose petals, you need not go
above 2500PSI as most of the lighter oils are miscible with liquid CO2.
My methods are always changing, I strive to be flexible and
always up to date, so should you!
Updated Butane Reclaim
Thursday, December 12, 2013 11:25 PM
Recently I had some time to build a pump driven reclaim
system for a customer. It uses a modified Appion pump and allows the extraction
and reclaiming to be done very cold. I float whichever container is being
compressed into in a bath of antifreeze, dry ice (made using liquid CO2 and the
EnJYN collection container), and water.
Finally
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 10:49 PM
Ok everyone, the Mary JYN is here. Patent Pending (finally)
The prototype is a 10L system with 316L stainless steel
extraction volumes. The most basic option is a design that is thermally driven,
or uses heat to move the CO2, as well as increase the pressure for extraction.
Using switches, the user can control the temperature of each
volume individually or both as a unit. By splitting the extraction into two
volumes this design becomes more time efficient. As the carbon dioxide is
expanded and the oils collected the solvent must condense somewhere else while
the extraction volume is heated and under pressure, in this case the solvent is
condensed in a chamber already filled with plant material so each movement of
the solvent is useful to the extraction.
The extractor design allows for easy transition to positive
displacement pumping of the carbon dioxide. So I offer two models, one that
uses temperature controlled fluid jackets (cheaper), and one that uses positive
displacement pumps (faster, more precise).
Interesting
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 11:50 PM
I am reading the book Supercritical Fluid Extraction of
Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds by Jose L. Martinez.
It is going on about how carboxyl groups make the extraction
with only CO2 hard to achieve because they have polarity. It made me think about
a few things.
This must be one reason why I can achieve moderate success
in small extractors because I use heat and am likely decarboxylating the oils
in the latter extractions.
Terpenes can be extracted easily at low pressures and with
liquid CO2 because the really aromatic ones are light hydrocarbons. In a
temperature driven system the best that can be hoped to achieved is low
pressure and low temp extraction of the terpenes, and subsequent extractions at
higher temperatures and pressures of mostly decarboxylated active compounds.
In a pump driven system liquid CO2 can be moved to extract
the terpenes first, then a polar cosolvent introduced (like ethanol) to remove
the still acidic active compounds at low temperature. A pump system can do this
more easily because adding alcohol to make a solution with CO2 will lower the
overall vapor pressure of the solution and require either a larger mass of the
solution to exist in the same volume, or a much high temperature to achieve the
same pressures. Since the goal is collecting carboxylated oils, an increased
temperature is not desirable. Pumps make this more easily possible. If the
cosolvent extraction can be done at low temperatures <0F relatively little
chlorophyll will be picked up. If it must be done warmer the terpenes can be
separated at the beginning and the carboxylated oils can be cleaned with
activated carbon to remove the chlorophyll that is picked up with the alcohol.
The one gray area that I need to find specifics on is
exactly how high pressure environments of carbon dioxide affect the release of
the carboxyl group (more carbon dioxide). I would like to have control of
whether or not decarboxylation happens. A lot of processes call for
decarboxylation beforehand. The issue is this is done with heat in the cases I
have seen and will lead to loss of light aromatic terpenes.
Anyways, it is a good book to get the brain moving.
Oregon
Sunday, November 03, 2013 11:16 AM
Currently in Oregon meeting lots of good people along the
way and at graywolfs hosted lecture.
Forgive me of any delays in correspondence.
Forgive me of any delays in correspondence.
Long Time No Post
Saturday, October 26, 2013 12:29 AM
Hello everyone, thanks for keeping my blog fairly popular.
As I have mentioned before I am almost done with my first commercial system.
But I have not quit experimenting and learning
Some of what I have learned to be the basics of carbon
dioxide extractions:
First you must extract, and especially collect at a range of
temperatures and pressures in order to have an extract that is diverse in its compounds.
Using a pump to conduct the entire operation at one pressure will produce
mediocre results. If the extraction is done at low pressure <2600PSI it will
be very aromatic but the yield is not as good. If it is done at high pressure
>2600PSI it will have better efficiency and yield but a less aromatic oil.
If you can not have both good quality and quantity of yield
it would not really make much sense to switch from butane. After all SCFE is a
more involved process.
In a temperature controlled system not utilizing pumps this
happens naturally. As you increase the pressure through heat a range is
experienced by the plant material. As the solution is released and collected
this happens again. This is a good reason to keep the collection as slow as
possible so the solution is collected at each position within the range for as
long as is sensible. What you end up with is an oil that has the properties of
an extract collected at all of the ranges versus the high selectivity of
keeping the solvent at an even pressure and temperature.
This is possible to achieve with pumps which remove the
negatives of heating the plant, using some fancy electronic controls.
Another thing of importance is how the material is prepared.
As is the case with most commercial systems, the user wishes to run the plant
material moist without drying. This is why a lot of the extracts when first
removed are pretty much all liquid. This can be a result of bad CO2 as well
because the lower grades have higher allowable moisture contents. It is my
opinion that this hasty preparation is what causes the common leafy taste that
is associated with the large system's extracts.
Moral is: a range of pressure and temperature, and dry
starting material.
Having dry material also allows for the extraction to be
collected from the bottom of the
extraction chamber which makes it easier to collect oil from liquid CO2 as
opposed to supercritical. The labs intended the use of fractioning to allow wet
material to be run. It works but I have yet to hear a great review on the end
product.
Squeaky Clean (Stainless)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013 3:05 PM
You are looking at some very corrosion resistant pipes with
a good cyclic fatigue profile. They are for the very first commercial systems I
will build. Time for concept and prototype to go into production. Three weeks
until completion. What you see below is enough for two complete systems. Four
long sections and two short.
I will post again after some welding, machining, and patent
filing :).
Website Up!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 2:05 PM
It is still VERY incomplete but the website is functional
and I have smashed my head at the keyboard a few times to come up with this :)
JYNdustriez LLC Website
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 10:12 AM
That's right. I am building a website. I have purchased a
couple of domains and I am filling them with content. Forgive the slowness in
updates, this has been at least part of the reason. I will post a web address
when things are more presentable, I am excited about this one. LLC and a
website, legit!
Pages are missing from this blog as they are being migrated
and updated on my website. This will become my basis for displaying
experimental content and no longer a store of any sort. This will be, a blog.
Anyways, good things are coming! Thanks everyone for
sticking around.
Some Collection Photos From 3500PSI Extractions
Monday, August 26, 2013 6:30 AM
The second extraction in the series begins to produce a
waxier end product. The appearance is still very yellow.
The third extraction in a series and the wax, or what I am
assuming is waxes and fats, has a more whitish color. Indicating IMO the decreasing
presence of essential oils.
A look inside at the third extraction. The waxier extract
sticks towards the top and the thinner oils run to the bottom. I always conduct
a fourth run because my first is done at a lower pressure of 2600PSI in order to collect the more fragrant oils
first before subjecting the mix to higher heat and pressure. I do this whether
I use high final extraction pressures or moderate ones.
The second extraction after collection with ethanol, light
heat, and a fan.
The third extraction after collection with ethanol, light
heat, and a fan.
