Thoughts on “Steam cleaning” ETS MeP300 Hydrocarbon Extractor? As in, running water through the system instead of solvent to “flush” system.
ISSUE: Color remediation medium placed in bottom conical made its way through micron screen and through system. Isopropyl/Ethanol evaporates too quickly to thoroughly clean, distilled water was recommended to clean. But what about running it through an engaged system in place of what would normally be solvent?
Are you cleaning it in place? If so my first choice would be removing any filters from the system and using my extraction solvent to wash all the contaminates to the collection pot, then remove the bottom platter and clean it with ethanol, iso, ext. You can clean your filters individually with solvents/ aclonox/ Di h20 above your wash sink.
great suggestion! All of our micron screens are attached to the gaskets so we would have to get screen-less gaskets if we wanted to do it this way, but it sounds like it might be worth it! Thanks for your input!
I add 350-500mL ETOH to extractor column and run 1-2 hrs at 1200-1400 PSI 110-118F parameters. Cleans the system better than new. Also cleans any filters depending on level of build up. I’ll do this for standard maintenance schedules, after quarantined runs, and if I am transitioning from supercritical to sub-critical runs.
This method is typically outside the recommended scope of operation for some SCCO2 extractors (i.e. highly pressurizing ETOH). Some extractors are now actively involving ETOH co-solvency such as Apeks and some newer manufacturers. Apeks appears to be doing it because their supercritical fractions appears to be very difficult to remove from their separator cups.
The ETS MeP300 can only withstand up to 350PSI before gaskets start failing, normal operating parameters are under 75 PSI. The contaminant wont stick to ETOH because of how fast it evaporates.
Are you using the same extractor? This is a close loop hydrocarbon extractor. Thanks for the suggestion though!
This is just media powders right?
if you are set on etoh you can use a few gallons of it, it shoulden’t evaporate if you can keep a lid on the vessel.
I have no idea exactly how you plan to clean it or what you are trying to clean.
However, I used to sell/service dry ice blasters. They are pretty cool (pun intended). The big advantage to them is that there is not a secondary waste stream since the dry ice sublimates. Also, they do an incredibly good job of removing sticky contaminates. One of my customers back in the day used it to clean glue off a label machine in a bottling line.
here is a video of one in action
The problem is that they are super expensive and require 100CFM of compressed air. That said there are some rental places that rent them.
My bad I misread this post as Extraktlab CO2 extractor. Thank you for pointing out the error.
Take your lines off machine, soak in etoh, then use air gun to remove contaminants from lines and dry lines. Then Reassemble.
Why not just do a clean run of just solvent? That should flush your system