Soxhlet extractor

A schematic representation of a Soxhlet extractor: Stirrer bar Still pot (the still pot should not be overfilled and the volume of solvent in the still pot should be 3 to 4 times the volume of the Soxhlet chamber) Distillation path Thimble Solid Siphon top Siphon exit Expansion adapter Condenser Cooling water out Cooling water in

A Soxhlet extractor is a piece of laboratory apparatus invented in 1879 by Franz von Soxhlet. It was originally designed for the extraction of a lipid from a solid material. Typically, Soxhlet extraction is used when the desired compound has a limited solubility in a solvent, and the impurity is insoluble in that solvent. It allows for unmonitored and unmanaged operation while efficiently recycling a small amount of solvent to dissolve a larger amount of material.