Abstract: A process for extracting a fat from a feedstock (e.g., chocolate liquor), includes mixing the feedstock with a liquefied gas solvent (e.g., butane), filtering, washing the retentate with additional solvent, refiltering, drying, granulating, aerating the granulate, and separating the fat from the solvent in the original filtrate. The mixing, filtering, washing, refiltering, drying, and granulating are conducted under an atmosphere consisting essentially of the solvent vapor. An improved solvent extraction process includes repeatedly loading and unloading an extractor with solvent and feedstock to extract fat from the feedstock, wherein throughout loading, extracting, unloading and repeating: (a) a pressure in the extractor is continuously maintained above atmospheric pressure; (b) the extractor is continuously maintained under an oxygen-free atmosphere; and/or (c) the extractor is continuously maintained under an atmosphere consisting essentially of a vapor of the solvent.

Abstract: A dielectric constant detector, having a sample cell and a reference cell, is provided which is useful to provide an electrical signal that is proportional to the concentration of a component being passed through the dielectric constant detector. The fluid to be analyzed together with a reference fluid is provided to the sample cell while only the reference fluid is provided to the reference cell. The difference in the capacitances of the two cells is utilized to determine the concentration of a component passing through the sample cell. The sample and reference cells are adjusted in such a manner that the capacitance of each cell is substantially equal when the same fluid is in both cells so as to substantially reduce the signal-to-noise ratios for the dielectric constant detector.

Abstract: The acid concentration of a test material is measured by passing a stream of water through a mixing device at a predetermined rate, adding a predetermined volume of the test material to the water upstream of the mixing device, and measuring the electrical conductivity of the mixed effluent stream from the mixing device.