The extraction thimbles from the AllFilter range by AllChimie are cellulose or glass microfibre thimbles designed for Soxhlet extraction and automated extractors. They allow concentrating compounds of interest from solid or semi-solid samples via hot solvent.
Their cylindrical shape with closed bottom holds the sample while allowing the solvent to pass through by capillarity. Pure cellulose thimbles suit common applications, while glass microfibre thimbles withstand more aggressive solvents and higher temperatures.
Typical applications cover fat determination (food analysis using Soxhlet methods), pesticide and organic compound determination in soils, sediments or biological samples, as well as active ingredient extraction in pharmaceutical or cosmetic chemistry.
In practice, the thimble is placed in the Soxhlet extractor, itself mounted on a heated flask topped with a condenser. The solvent collected in the flask is then evaporated, and the dry residue can be kept in a desiccator before weighing. For faster extractions not requiring continuous reflux, the phase separator paper can be an alternative for liquid-liquid protocols.
