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BUTANE EXTRACTION AND RECOVERY SYSTEM
- Thread starter Gray Wolf
- Start date
Hooray!
Gray Wolf, thank you for your generous sharing of information without asking for returns or exclusivity.
To be fair, it should be noted I hoard everything I learn from you and lord it over the heads of many lesser man who haven't had the good fortune to stumble across your website.
So you give freely, and I take and hoard.
Ironic?
More like evil.
Oh well, I guess we've all got our issues to deal with.
Please continue releasing such valuable information (that I may exploit others with it).
Gray Wolf, thank you for your generous sharing of information without asking for returns or exclusivity.
To be fair, it should be noted I hoard everything I learn from you and lord it over the heads of many lesser man who haven't had the good fortune to stumble across your website.
So you give freely, and I take and hoard.
Ironic?
More like evil.
Oh well, I guess we've all got our issues to deal with.
Please continue releasing such valuable information (that I may exploit others with it).
Certifiable! Thanks for startng the madness.............
banana buds
Member
hey gray, noticed y'alls picked up a PLC. some fine machines, but you might want to consider looking into something even easier and cleaner to build with - arduino boards. they are extremely easy to deal with, and should be plenty of muscle for your application.
that would definitely help cut costs, as the boards themselves are around $30, and there is a ton of auxiliary hardware available to mate directly up to them for various functions. i would imagine that for what you would spend on all the control hardware using an arduino as the heart, you'd probably spend less than what just the PLC costs. and out of curiosity, why solid state relays? nothing like the satisfying clack of a 40 amp contactor
if you want more information i'd be happy to help, although i don't have PM abilities yet so it will have to just be in here on your thread i suppose.
that would definitely help cut costs, as the boards themselves are around $30, and there is a ton of auxiliary hardware available to mate directly up to them for various functions. i would imagine that for what you would spend on all the control hardware using an arduino as the heart, you'd probably spend less than what just the PLC costs. and out of curiosity, why solid state relays? nothing like the satisfying clack of a 40 amp contactor
if you want more information i'd be happy to help, although i don't have PM abilities yet so it will have to just be in here on your thread i suppose.
hey gray, noticed y'alls picked up a PLC. some fine machines, but you might want to consider looking into something even easier and cleaner to build with - arduino boards. they are extremely easy to deal with, and should be plenty of muscle for your application.
that would definitely help cut costs, as the boards themselves are around $30, and there is a ton of auxiliary hardware available to mate directly up to them for various functions. i would imagine that for what you would spend on all the control hardware using an arduino as the heart, you'd probably spend less than what just the PLC costs. and out of curiosity, why solid state relays? nothing like the satisfying clack of a 40 amp contactor
if you want more information i'd be happy to help, although i don't have PM abilities yet so it will have to just be in here on your thread i suppose.
Thanks for the input bro, Luc recommended the same thing, but our 78 year old resident electronics genius is more familiar with industrial PLC's and picked one that he previously used and which he had a couple freebees of, lying on the shelf looking for a home.
My own industrial experience with PLC's was with Fanuc and Modicon, but if I was starting from scratch I would look long and hard at the Arduino, because of cost and recommend that others do so as well.
I picked Crydom solid state relays because of their low latching current, high inrush tolerance, and because they are robust and reliable enough that the elevator industry replaced their higher maintenance mechanical contactors with them.
I am also over designed, by using 25 amp relays for no more than a 10 amp motor circuit. I have fallen in love with them over the years. I usually grab them, when I see them military surplus at Wacky Willies. I don't know how large them make them, but I have up 40 amps in my treasures (valuable junk) colection.
Both issues good inputs! I appreciate your interest and input and look forward to your ongoing involvement. It doesn't take long to get enough posts to use the ICMag PM system, but in the interiem, you can always reach me on our Skunk Pharm Research site, by using the comments columns or my Graywolf g-mail account.
Hee, hee, hee...............
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Flying High
Member
GreyWolf,
I absolutly love your exraction/recovery system, strong work! I went from being bummed the Tamisium unit was back ordered, to feeling lucky I waited and read this thread at least a half dozen times...
Now I realize I can do nothing less than build my own system; only made possible by your generous documentation and illustrations, not to mention foaf, jump, and others with Tamisium threads...
My biggest area of indecision which may be resolved based on a question to follow is in regards to the Tri-Clamp spools versus a 1 gallon pressure pot.
GreyWolf and all, any thoughts on the two options for extractor column versus soak vessel? Based on cost versus volume, I think the column wins if price is a concern, which may be the case. I can't seem to find much fault in the spools from glacier; but I kind of like the idea of literally throwing an entire unit into the 1gallon pot and have plenty of room for a good Butane soak. With the gallon pressure pots added expense, I could buy an extra three spools for hard-core production, and still be saving more than a hundred dollars over the pot.
With the column filling and my possible addition of a butane flush loop going up to the top of the column, for a flush cycle after the traditional bottom fill and drain, this would allow a flush from the top of both the column and vent lines after the four solvent cycles. I would need this to be tee'd off upline of the column and think This may be best hard plumbed to the top for rigidity? Anyways, with the column filling and possible flushing, is it worth the added expense of the one gallons pressure pot?
Also, any thought on the best tube size to run from tank to pot and column? Part of me is thinking just do 3/4", but the intelligent side is telling me to run whatever size comes out of the Appian pump or recovery tank. Should I just buy a fifty pound recovery cylinder, or is a thirty pound cylinder any cheaper? Since I am planning on buying an LP5 cylinder with Instrument Grade N-Butane, would the thirty make sense, or should I play it safe or cheaper with the Fifty pound tank which may be more common since I see that size most for sale?
I athink I am going to try out the Teflonbags from Flourocarbon; I am getting tired of scraping, even with the multitude of handmade tools I have built in the pursuit of effortless scraping. As for scraping,I realized today, one of those Rotozip'esque reciprocating blade thingy's would probably make an amazing scraping tool....
Anyways, I appreciate the thread and any feedback is certainly a bonus...
Thanks a ton
H
I absolutly love your exraction/recovery system, strong work! I went from being bummed the Tamisium unit was back ordered, to feeling lucky I waited and read this thread at least a half dozen times...
Now I realize I can do nothing less than build my own system; only made possible by your generous documentation and illustrations, not to mention foaf, jump, and others with Tamisium threads...
My biggest area of indecision which may be resolved based on a question to follow is in regards to the Tri-Clamp spools versus a 1 gallon pressure pot.
GreyWolf and all, any thoughts on the two options for extractor column versus soak vessel? Based on cost versus volume, I think the column wins if price is a concern, which may be the case. I can't seem to find much fault in the spools from glacier; but I kind of like the idea of literally throwing an entire unit into the 1gallon pot and have plenty of room for a good Butane soak. With the gallon pressure pots added expense, I could buy an extra three spools for hard-core production, and still be saving more than a hundred dollars over the pot.
With the column filling and my possible addition of a butane flush loop going up to the top of the column, for a flush cycle after the traditional bottom fill and drain, this would allow a flush from the top of both the column and vent lines after the four solvent cycles. I would need this to be tee'd off upline of the column and think This may be best hard plumbed to the top for rigidity? Anyways, with the column filling and possible flushing, is it worth the added expense of the one gallons pressure pot?
Also, any thought on the best tube size to run from tank to pot and column? Part of me is thinking just do 3/4", but the intelligent side is telling me to run whatever size comes out of the Appian pump or recovery tank. Should I just buy a fifty pound recovery cylinder, or is a thirty pound cylinder any cheaper? Since I am planning on buying an LP5 cylinder with Instrument Grade N-Butane, would the thirty make sense, or should I play it safe or cheaper with the Fifty pound tank which may be more common since I see that size most for sale?
I athink I am going to try out the Teflonbags from Flourocarbon; I am getting tired of scraping, even with the multitude of handmade tools I have built in the pursuit of effortless scraping. As for scraping,I realized today, one of those Rotozip'esque reciprocating blade thingy's would probably make an amazing scraping tool....
Anyways, I appreciate the thread and any feedback is certainly a bonus...
Thanks a ton
H
Flying High
Member
I forgot to add, your website is an amazing resource for the community and world at large. Brilliant !!!
Thanks again
Thanks again
banana buds
Member
hmm, graywolf(at)gmail.com ?
banana buds
Member
hey flying high, i'll chime in here since i'm in the middle of shaking down a very similar system.
-appion standard fittings are 1/4" flare.
-i paid $155 for the LP5 tank from my gas supplier (includes liquid tube)
-local hvac supply house sells recovery tanks - 50lb tank is $95, 30lb is $85.
-mcmaster part to hook up to CGA 510 on my tank is 1/4 MPT nipple
i'm going to guess gray will advise you to go with the biggest lines possible, which are likely to be 3/8" (rather than the standard 1/4").
hope that helps!
Thanks for the good thoughts!
I like the columns because they are more efficient to flush than a larger diameter. You really need a rosebud spray head at the top of a larger one to get good coverage.
I use a 3/4" tube from pot to column, for ease of vacuuming.
I run a 3/8" from the recovery pump to the pot for the same reason. I added an inlet filter to the pumps 1/4" flare fitting and then a 3/8" flare adapter on the filter for the hose.
I use the 50# pot because it has more surface area to dissipate heat from in the ice bath.
A Teflon bag should work! Be sure and use a bag large enough that it firmly touches the pot walls and bottom, or the system will cool down so low that it will stop boiling as soon as you start pumping off the butane.
Since we are normally going to winterize anyway, we usually just wash out the oil with Everclear, which eliminates scraping.
