Molecular sieve beads

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1

What is the most effective method to remove residual solvents from used molecular sieve beads? Solvent= mixture of butane/propane/isobutane. Used for a hudrocarbon extraction. Lets say the beads went through 100 runs( each run is using 25lbs of solvent)

I imagine that it would be something like this…
1.place used molecular sieve beads in vacuum oven.
2. Set oven temperature at evaporation temperature for solvents.
3. Pull hard vacuum on oven.

Has any other method been used?

If i need to further explain please lmk…

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2

3a beads shoulden’t absorb hydrocarbons based on their pore size. Just set them in a cookie sheet and bake @400f for an hour, cool under vaccum.

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3

It may be reasonable to “extract” the beads with ethanol first if they look to be caked in BHO

Edit: Adendum to @Soxhlet’s sage advice

… and get them into a sealed container (back in your extractor?) as soon as you release vacuum.

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4

Where are you guys buying your 3A beads

5

Yes the moment they cooled place in Sieve column and cap the ends till ready to use…only open when hooked up…the size depends on the time it last and humidity I’m sure… always cap when not in use, if cant store under vav…i just cook every so many runs depending on column size…
Usually however long @Soxhlet tells me to do or another bright mind I know :blush:

If any left store In vacuum sealed bag…dont forget to suck the air out lol!!!

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6

I recycle My beads in a pizza oven at 380C thats what the company delivering them recomended
Minimum temp being 300C for 8 hours
For 4 hours so No vacuum just a lot of heat and store and cap them at 130 C
But he i am in europe and we are WAY behind of You guys

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7

I’ve always been taught 482f overnight and cool under vacuum.

When not in use… I open all my valves. Place my whole molecular sieve tri clamp device in a large vacuum sealed bag under vacuum.

Keeps everything nice and sealed for use the next time.

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8

Never thought that super easy I’m doing that for sure…just vac bagging the whole thing

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9

What is the purpose of opening all the valves?

10

To make sure vacuum reaches throughout. I just don’t wanna lock my moisture between the valve and gaskets. Just a personal preference

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11

Oh it’s a vaccum sealed bag! diden’t see that.
Personally I just shut the valves at the end of the day, but the entire system is stored under vac except the solvent tank.

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12

have you tried to wash the used beads in ethanol and if anyone has how long are the beads in contact with the ethanol?

13

why wash them? Are they hash covered?

14

They should never be right? Covered in hash ?

If so they were severely over used?

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15

Not over used, improperly used. You should never be able to suck up hash laden oil into your mol seive beads. If your filterdryer gets regular slugs of liquid you need either a larger collection pot, or a design that dosen’t allow that to happen.

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16

I’ve got hash on the beads in the extractor I just inherited control on.

Looks like it took some time to get that way too…,

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17

I would just replace the beads, easy peasy!

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18

Do u have a line btw ur sieve and tank, w sieve placed sideways

And this is an cls ?

And why are ur beads in ur extractor? Is ur sieve not separate part of everything

19

Yeah, going over the whole thing. Replacing gaskets, reseating valves that have clearly been leaking…all kinds of fun.

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20

you know about envolope gaskets? If not, there great!

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