I am planning on purchasing a personal small batch closed loop extractor. Been looking at the one ablaze has...a Mini Closed Loop Extractor 45g Capacity Splatter Platter and Sight for $300(
HERE). And a 90g one for 500(
HERE)...apparently there is a dewaxing column too. I am new to this and am looking for advice so that I can avoid a few newbie mistakes.
Greetings,
These units look good in terms of compatibility with solvents like butane (the buna-n - aka nitrile - gaskets are compatible with butane and propane). However, I should note that I have had delamination of nitrile at atmospheric pressure and room temp due to contact with sticky resin. Always check your gaskets - after every run IMO. Gaskets can of course be changed (they even provide a spare set).
304 stainless is safe with all of the solvents that we use. You should regularly look over the stainless components to ensure that no corrosion or damage takes place over time, but you should not expect problems here unless something unusual has happened.
As my buddy
@matthend says, a large sight port may be a problem depending on the construction/materials choice/density etc. I can't see any sight glass in the picture of the 90g unit though! BTW, I would get a unit with 90g over 45g capacity, IMO I tended towards 2 zip washes with solvents and 1 zip was always a little too much labor for the yield. YMMV of course.
Be mindful that this unit (90g) is only rated to be filled with a maximum 350ml of solvent which may require additional washes of the same material for larger amounts of starting material. This problem could potentially be mitigated/engineered out in the design process so there is a possibility that this is not actually a limitation for this product.
Finally, the PTFE parts of the braided hose should be very resistant to butane and propane, but IMO one should always regularly inspect all polymers (nitrile/ptfe/silicone etc) for deformation or damage in any extraction equipment.
Also guys, I've never run into a variety/pheno that doesn't rosin. I have run into immature nugs that have very low resin content that doesn't rosin worth a damn - but that shit is not going to make for good solvent extract yields either - and if it does, you are probably extracting stuff that isn't resin
I do recommend rosin to anybody who is not familiar with safely working with and storing solvents in an industrial setting. Despite my advice above, I do not recommend the use of explosive gases or even the less dangerous but still flammable alcohols for extraction in the home at all if there are
any other options.
A single exploding can of butane could spell the end for you and people around you. Please be safe people.
