How many of you have used or are using the ExtractionTek MEP 20L or 30L? How do you like it? Our company is looking into which hydrocarbon extractor to purchase and have yet to pull the trigger. We are looking into the MEP and some others, yet the MEP looks more complicated to run than the other units. Could anyone give me a quick rundown or S.O.P for how you operate the system (doesn’t need to be exact). Our current extractor is just a single column with collection vessel that runs passively, so looking at the MEP I am taken back a bit.I understand how the system and process work very well. I would just like to know some basics about this machine before we purchase it and would not like to have to forgo the 6000$ and flight to Colorado for the training of a extractor we haven’t purchased yet. I understand the solvent inlet and outlet are on the left side and that each column is a top feed, also it uses a pneumatic pump. But, How fast does the pump need to run and when should I start recovery during the extraction? Does the solvent travel Inline through each column or does each column feed to the recovery chamber separately? Can all the columns have solvent dumped into them at the same time or does it need to occur one after the other? Does the extractor come with solvent storage tanks and quick connect lines? What are problems that occur with this extractor?
Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks
it works. kind of small in today’s whirled
3 columns. sequentially. into the receiver. which only has enough volume for ONE column at a time.
problems? yeah, folks continually try flooding all three columns at once.
given that there is not enough room in the receiver for that, it doesn’t work particularly well.
…with the jackets at -70C, the fact that you’ve got three partially full columns you’re trying to dump over a 60-90min period doesn’t affect the quality too badly, but it’s the wrong way to run the thing.
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is there a way to connect a larger collection vessel or is it something that is finite in its design?
sure…but then it’s not the machine that the engineer approved, so your certification goes out the window. that doesn’t work for most folks.
ask the manufacturer.
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Interesting. I should look into that and see if there is an option to have a ball valve put on the bottom of the collection vessel. Does the extract need to be removed from the collection vessel after each cycle or can you just recover the solvent and keep adding more to the collection vessel until its full? How fast is the solvent recovery? Does the solvent recovery start while the extract is still falling into the collection vessel or will the collection vessel hold everything from the single column so that recovery can start once it has all dropped?
Sorry if Im irritating you with these questions.
run times listed are optimistic
https://extractiontek.com/hydrocarbon-extractor-mep/
yes. pour spout is an option.
who would buy a machine with 3 columns, and the option of three more on a trolley, if the collection pot had to be removed between columns? (not I!)
(trolley seems like a huge waste of money. was not in use when I came aboard)
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Thanks man, your help is greatly appreciated. It all looks like a lot of valves to turn, you ever get confused or after a few runs did it become second nature?
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Is and ancillary pump needed to pull vacuum on the system or will the Haskel do the work?
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External vac pump.
AtEx rated dry scroll ideally.
It becomes second nature pretty quickly. Honestly having all those valves is nice because it allows you a lot more freedom and the ability to separate everything. You will need to be using nitrogen as well.
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Im sure it will take awhile but once it gets here and I am able to follow the lines Im sure I will understand it. How is the nitrogen used on this system, flushing the columns before the run?
Nitrogen would be used after your soak to push all the solution through the system into collection pot.
I would NEVER get a unit with a collection pot that you can’t empty all three tubes into.
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exactly what @midsfactory said.
If you extract super cold, which you should be doing, you will need nitrogen to push the butane through the system.
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Or you can use warm butane gas. This is also another reason why your recovery pot should be able to hold a lot more gas than you use for extracting one tube.
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I use the ETS MiniMEP, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Large enough runs for our facility needs, without the excessive amount of material columns. We chose the mini specifically because of the need to change the recovery vessel with the MEP each column anyways, and switching out a sock isn’t that difficult.
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run times listed are optimistic
With the MiniMEP, I get the run times listed on the site.
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Awesome, thank you guys for posting.
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Warm butane = much darker extracts however
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Pretty sure they mean using a warm vapor assist. It’s what how ETS trained me to do it, at least. You do the run super cold and then allow about 3lb of solvent (for the MiniMEP, at least) to recover back into the tank and then use the warm vapor in the tank to push the rest of the solvent through to the collection pot.
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