Patent EA-003071-B1 (EA)
Title: Method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material, device for carrying out said method and use of said method in the production of dried ligneous plant material
Inventor: DEDIEU BERNARD
IPC: B01D11/00
Filed: 2000-04-28
Abstract: 1. A method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material, comprising the steps of: a pressurization in which a sealed enclosure containing the plant material is pressurized, whereby the pressure thereof is greater than that of the atmosphere, in which saturating water vapor is created or injected, in which the plant material is heated to the core by means of electromagnetic waves and in which the liquid exudates from said plant material are gravitationally recovered. 2. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of recuperation is carried out at least partially in the step of creating or injecting saturated water vapor. 3. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that total pressure is from 1,5 to 9,6 bars. 4. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the total pressure is adapted depending upon the material to be treated and a temperature of vapor surrounding said material. 5. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the power of microwaves is modulated for heating the inner part of the material to the temperature which is higher than the temperature of the vapor obtained under total selected pressure by the value from several tenths to several degrees. 6. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that volume of water under an atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of an ambient medium exceeds two to four times the volume of air contained in the chamber under the similar conditions. 7. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to claim 6, characterized in that the volume required at the pressure of the saturated vapor for selected working temperature exceeds three times the air volume contained in the chamber at an ambient temperature. 8. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the frequency of microwaves is adapted to the mass of ligneous plant material to be treated in the chamber permitting penetration of said waves into inner parts of the ligneous plant material to be treated. 9. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the wave frequency is from 13 to 2450 MHz. 10. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that comprises the step of evacuating juice from the chamber under pressure during of in the process of extraction. 11. The method for extracting the natural juice of ligneous plant material according to claim 9, characterized in that comprises the step of regulating parameters, namely the total pressure and wave power for penetrating additives into the ligneous plant material injected into the chamber after removing juices therefrom. 12. A device for carrying out said method, characterized in that comprises a sealed chamber (1) resistant to pressure, a plurality of windows from quartz (14) or any other material resistant to waves, an electromagnetic waves generator disposed in the proximity of each window such that waves are emitted transversely with respect to the ligneous plant material (3), being in the chamber, a saturated water vapor generator (2, 45) under pressure which is higher than the atmospheric pressure for creating or injecting the pressure of the saturated water vapor at a temperature and under the total pressure which is determined depending upon the ligneous plant material to be treated. 13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that comprises means for air circulation under pressure (12, 13) 14. The device according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the vapor generator is adapted to permit vapor injection under pressure at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined total pressure. 15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that the vapor generator comprises a vessel containing some water (45) exceeding two to four times the air mass contained in the chamber at an ambient temperature and means (46) for heating water to convert it into a gaseous state. 16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that the heating means are adapted to control means for measuring total pressure inside the chamber, interrupting water heating at obtaining the required pressure. 17. The device according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the chamber comprises a device for recuperation of extracted juices flowing and/or gravity. 18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that the vessel for recuperation of juices communicates with the outer portion of the chamber via a valve (17) wherein the valve is driven for a partial evacuating of juices in the process of the device functioning. 19. The device according to one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that the ligneous plant material to be treated within one operation of juice extraction comprises wood of one species, the pressure and the temperature are determined depending upon the wood species to extract active substances of special interest under optimum conditions. 20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that the ligneous plant material is treated with or without core immediately after timber cutting down. 21. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that the ligneous plant material is tree's branches and foliage resulted in timber cut. 22. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that oak or beech species are treated to obtain wyskiline, gaiacole, phenols. 23. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that resinous timber species are treated to obtain a juice containing terpene. 24. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that resinous timber species are treated to obtain a juice containing terpenic alcohols. 25. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that resinous timber species are treated to obtain a juice containing non-volatile resinic acids. 26. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that willow or poplar species are treated to obtain a juice containing salicylic acid. 27. A method of extracting juice by treating the ligneous plant material according to claim 1, characterized in that yew species are treated to obtain a juice containing taxol.