US 12,453,930 B2
Products and methods related to the distillation of molecules from aerosols
C. Russell Thomas, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to Natural Extraction Systems, LLC, Boulder, CO (US)
Appl. No. 18/553,175
Filed by NATURAL EXTRACTION SYSTEMS, LLC, Boulder, CO (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 1, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/023159
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 28, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/212912, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/250,861, filed on Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/250,916, filed on Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/173,195, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/170,306, filed on Apr. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0181369 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
Int. Cl. B01D 11/02 (2006.01); B01D 3/30 (2006.01); B01D 3/34 (2006.01); B01D 3/42 (2006.01); C07C 45/78 (2006.01); C07C 45/81 (2006.01); C07C 45/82 (2006.01); C07C 47/58 (2006.01); B01D 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 3/346 (2013.01) [B01D 3/30 (2013.01); B01D 3/42 (2013.01); B01D 11/02 (2013.01); C07C 45/78 (2013.01); C07C 45/81 (2013.01); C07C 47/58 (2013.01); B01D 2011/007 (2013.01); C07C 45/82 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A method to separate a molecule from an impurity, comprising:
providing a system to separate the molecule from the impurity;
providing a composition comprising the molecule and the impurity, wherein the molecule is vanillin, the vanillin is present in the composition in a solid phase or a liquid phase, the impurity is cellulose I, and the impurity is present in the composition in a solid phase or a liquid phase;
converting the molecule into a vaporized molecule in a gas phase, wherein converting the molecule into the vaporized molecule is performed in a first chamber of the system, the gas phase has a pressure and a temperature, the molecule has a boiling point at the pressure and a vapor pressure at the temperature, the pressure of the gas phase is greater than the vapor pressure of the molecule, the boiling point of the molecule is greater than the temperature of the gas phase, and either the impurity lacks a vapor pressure or the impurity has a vapor pressure at the temperature that is less than the vapor pressure of the molecule at the temperature;
separating the vaporized molecule from the impurity; and
condensing the vaporized molecule into a condensed molecule,
wherein:
condensing the vaporized molecule into the condensed molecule is performed in a second chamber of the system;
the system allows passage of the gas phase from the first chamber to the second chamber;
the system inhibits passage of the impurity from the first chamber to the second chamber;
the composition comprises biological cells;
the biological cells have interiors, exteriors, and cell membranes that separate the interiors from the exteriors;
the method comprises vaporizing an accessory molecule within the biological cells at a rate sufficient to generate pressure within the biological cells that ruptures at least 10 percent of the cell membranes;
the composition off-gasses the vaporized molecule at a vaporization rate;
the rupturing increases the vaporization rate;
the vaporized molecule recondenses onto the composition at a condensation rate;
converting the molecule into the vaporized molecule occurs at a mass transfer rate, which is equal to the vaporization rate minus the condensation rate;
the rupturing increases the mass transfer rate;
the composition comprises the accessory molecule at a concentration of at least 1000 parts per million by mass;
the accessory molecule is water; and
the temperature of the gas phase is greater than the boiling point of the water at the pressure of the gas phase.