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charlesjackson

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http://www.careddi.com/brc/66.htm

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The main drawback of this method is that it cannot be used for trimming. This is where solvent extraction comes in handy. While there are many extraction solvents, some of them have dominated the cannabis industry in recent years: carbon dioxide, butane and propane (hydrocarbons), and alcohol/ethanol/isopropyl. Regardless of the solvent used, the outline of solvent extraction is almost always the same: the raw cannabis plant is mixed with a liquid that removes the cannabinoids and subsequently removes them from the concentrate. Carbon Dioxide Extraction - The Industrial Gold Standard The extraction method that has become the most advanced in the cannabis industry is the use of high-pressure carbon dioxide to separate the cannabinoids from the plant. This technique is safe and effective, but because it uses precision instruments, it can only be used for industrial-scale production. At standard temperatures and pressures, CO2 is present in the gas phase. When heated above 31.0°C (critical temperature) and 1,070 PSI (critical pressure), CO2 exhibits both gaseous and liquid properties and becomes a so-called "supercritical fluid" that acts as a solvent and is necessary for the beginning steps of supercritical CO2 extraction. The supercritical fluid then passes through a chamber containing the cannabis material, gently dissolving the membranes of the trichomes to capture their active compounds. Next, the compound-rich solvent enters another pressurized separation vessel. As the pressure and temperature fluctuate, compounds such as cannabinoids and terpenes are separated out. Finally, the remaining CO2 is transferred to a condenser vessel where the temperature and pressure allow the fluid to stabilize back into the gas and leave the extract. Advantages of CO2 extraction The biggest advantage of CO2 extraction from a manufacturer's perspective is that it is a tunable solvent, says Andy Joseph. "This means that simple changes in the operating parameters [usually temperature and pressure] during extraction can make it weaker or stronger. This then allows you to take out different target elements with different molecular weights," he explains. In essence, this CBD extraction is highly scalable and you can operate as you try. From the customer's point of view, the advantage of CO2 is that it wants to be a gas at room temperature, Joseph continues. "You're left with pure extract. There's no residual solvent," he emphasizes. "Think of it like beer or soda. When you let them sit out, all the carbon dioxide that makes them froth and foam up disappears after a few hours. The same thing happens when you use carbon dioxide as an extraction solvent. Once the material is extracted, the carbon dioxide is eliminated simply by letting the material out of the gas," he explains. The best thing is that you are left with a pure representation of the oil in the original material plant. Pros and Cons The biggest disadvantage of CO2 extraction is the high cost of the equipment, as it requires considerable pressure to convert it from a gas to a liquid. The equipment tends to be very expensive or relatively expensive compared to other competing extractions. "It's not that CO2 is usually better than the others. It's all about the pros and cons. Depending on what you want to make and who your target audience is, different technologies will have different values," Joseph notes. For example, pure extraction without residual solvents can be attractive to specific markets. "More generally, there is a huge difference between making CBD products with boutique type applications and CBD products that are condemned by mass production environments," he adds. Residual Solvents in CBD: A Comparison of Extraction Methods While carbon dioxide is notorious for its purity, ethanol and hydrocarbons are notorious for potentially leaving harmful residues in the final product. However, Andy Joseph makes it clear that it should be clarified that we are only talking about one potential. "Ethanol can come in different purity levels. There's pharmaceutical grade ethanol, 200 proof, and then vodka. Technically, they're all alcohols, but the difference between them is obviously in the purity. As for hydrocarbons, they do start out of the ground at some point in time, which obviously means they can contain heavy metals and contaminants," Joseph clarifies. That's where the challenge of using them as solvents comes in "If you use a grade that is not pure enough for extraction, there are definitely contaminants left in the extraction process. But it's really about the potential. It really depends on how well the process is done and how much filtration is done," he adds. On the other hand, CO2 extraction is considered to be safe and harmless. It almost becomes a sign that immediately signifies quality and cleanliness. "It's just carbon dioxide - the same substance that makes up our bodies," Joseph briefly argues. But even this solvent requires secondary filtration. "Whether we're talking about carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons or ethanol, secondary and tertiary filtration is done across the board. Many times, unwanted elements are not necessarily contaminants, but need to be excluded from the CBD concentrate - chlorophyll is a good example," Joseph explains. "Lipids, oils, and fats are other substances that fall into the same category," he adds, "and if they are not separated from the CBD extract, then they will settle in the final product. Imagine encountering this situation on the shelf in a pharmacy or store. Some people would certainly find the layer unattractive and would put off buying it." "In terms of contaminants, sometimes getting them below a state's allowable limit can be a real challenge. Secondary processing plays an important role here, and that usually means a lot of extra work," Joseph explained. Safety Notes Another issue to address is definitely the safety precautions regarding different solvents. In the case of hydrocarbons, this is a major issue. Extracting CBD in this way means operating explosive gases. "The safety precautions required to operate a hydrocarbon extraction system are very important," Joseph notes, "and the process is done in a special facility called a Class I, Zone 1 explosion-proof facility." "However, the extraction of hydrocarbon CBD can absolutely be done safely. It's just that the costs associated with it are high," Joseph emphasized. Thus, extraction of hydrocarbon CBD is not always unsafe, but ensuring that the process is done in a safe manner can be very expensive. The bottom line: It all depends on the end product you're trying to make "The reality is that almost every extraction method can produce almost any type of CBD product, but some methods are much better than others. It all depends on the efficiency of a particular situation. That's where the complementary aspect comes in handy," Joseph says. CBD extraction methods are complementary in the sense that they don't necessarily run in tandem (one after the other), but in parallel (creating the product for which they are best suited). He gave us some useful examples: hydrocarbons are particularly good at making casual light-tap products - crushed, shredded, reactive resins; CO2 is good at terpene extraction and crude extract production; and ethanol shines in terms of volume - although it's the weakest of the three. but it can handle large amounts of ethanol most efficiently. "Ethanol's biggest drawback is that it's a 'one-trick pony.' It's really only good at making a lot of one product - a distillate or isolate. A good example of this is the comparison with sugar or flour. It's used as an ingredient, especially in food products." "All in all, the CBD extraction methods are really complementary because there is a constant demand for all of these types of CBD products," concludes Andy Joseph.

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