The soxhlet extractor is used to extract organic compounds from solids. Typically, the solids are the consistency of small particles like soil. The smaller the particles, the more surface area and the better the extraction. So, large chunks of solid are ground to smaller particles prior to extraction Most extractions are run for at least four hours and some extractions are run from twelve to twenty-four hours. Timing experiments must be run to determine the best analysis time for the best extraction results.
