Patent ID: 8323685

Claim:
A method of separating a non-volatile material from microparticles comprising: providing a composition comprising a plurality of solid microparticles and at least one non-volatile material, providing a non-solvent comprising at least one non-aqueous liquid selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butanol, 3-methyl-3-heptanol, 2-methyl-2-butanol, 2-butanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-propanone, and combinations thereof and at least one aqueous liquid; exposing the composition to the non-solvent to form a mixture containing one or more liquid phases and the solid microparticles; and removing at least a portion of the resulting one or more liquid phases while retaining at least the microparticles, thereby removing at least a portion of the non-volatile material from the composition, wherein the non-volatile material is more soluble in the non-solvent than are the microparticles, and the non-solvent is free of primary, linear alcohols and halogenated solvents.