Patent ID: 8336226

Claim:
A process for drying solids comprising plant material initially wet with water, the process comprising: (a) contacting a feed stream with a first solvent and a second solvent, the feed stream comprising solids, comprising plant material, having interstitial spaces therebetween and water present in the interstitial spaces, wherein the first solvent and the second solvent are introduced into the solids concurrently, the first solvent having a heat of vaporization lower than the heat of vaporization of water and being soluble with water, and the second solvent having a heat of vaporization lower than the heat of vaporization of the first solvent, being insoluble with water, and being miscible with the first solvent; (b) displacing the water present in the interstitial spaces with the second solvent to provide solids having the second solvent in the interstitial spaces.