Abstract: The present invention is an improvement in a method of desolventizing a marc resulting from the extraction of a mass of an oil-containing material with a normally gaseous hydrocarbon solvent for the oil therein after completion of the extraction, the solvent is drained from the marc, leaving residual solvent retained in the marc, and gaseous vapors heated above the solvent boiling point are passed through the zone in contact with said marc to volatilize the residual solvent therein. The improvement involves establishing within the extraction zone a desolventizing region defined between an inlet port and an exit port for the heated vapors and progressively displacing the desolventizing region from adjacent one zone end to adjacent its opposite end, whereby only a fraction of the marc within said closed zone is contacted with the flow of heated gaseous vapors at any given time.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement in a method of desolventizing a marc resulting from the extraction of a mass of an oil-containing material with a normally gaseous hydrocarbon solvent for the oil therein wherein the extraction is carried out in a closed zone which is elongated along one axis from one end to an opposite end and is at least partially filled with the extraction material and is maintained under a pressure at which such solvent is liquefied, and after completion of the extraction, the solvent is drained from the marc, leaving residual solvent retained in the marc, and gaseous vapors heated above the solvent boiling point are passed through the zone in contact with said marc to volatilize the residual solvent therein and carry the same from the closed zone.

Abstract: A process for extracting oil-containing nutmeat pieces to reduce the oil content by at least 25% by contacting the nutmeat pieces in an extraction vessel with liquefied hydrocarbon solvent having 3 to 4 carbon atoms under low liquefaction pressure to form a micella, separating the micella from a marc derived from the mass of nut pieces, contacting the marc with a second amount of solvent for at least two hours to form a second micella and separating the second micella from the marc and repeating this step until the oil content of the nutmeat pieces is reduced by at least 25%.

Abstract: The oil in comminuted oil-containing vegetable matter is extracted by passing the vegetable matter through a closed extraction zone in contact preferably in countercurrent flow relation with a liquid extraction medium, which is a normally gaseous hydrocarbon, preferably propane, under a pressure sufficient to liquify the same up to about 250 psi, a temperature from about room temperature up to about 40.degree.-50.degree. C. and in sufficient volume to extract substantially the oil from such matter, e.g.