Development of Soxhlet Extraction Technology

Classical soxhlet extraction has been around for hundreds of years as a widely-used extraction method. And the traditional method is often regarded as a reference standard for extraction methods.
In order to make a great evolution on extracting method, there is now a fully automated Soxhlet extractor that simultaneously extracts multiple samples. This method can save time, and sets the operators’ hands free. Accurate setting of extraction time and temperature by electronic control makes the whole process more automated.
The automatic soxhlet extraction introduced by Bruce E. Richter et al. is actually a hot melt. When it arrives at a certain time, it is recycled with a condensed solvent. This process is shorter than the extraction time and the automation is higher. Same as classic Soxhlet extraction.
When the extraction is complete, the extract is concentrated in the field and the solvent is recovered without the need for offline concentration. In addition, much higher recovery rate of automatic soxhlet extraction makes it an ideal extraction method. The method has been selected by the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as the recommended standard method (standard method). No. 3545).
The disadvantage of automatic Soxhlet extraction is that the automatic Soxhlet extraction still uses a great amount of organic solvent in the extraction process, which still causes certain environmental pollution. Another disadvantage is that the missing replacement is more cumbersome than the classic Soxhlet extractor, and the instrument is relatively expensive, which makes it difficult to achieve wide application in a short period of time.