LNEYA cryogenically cooled cannabis industry’s evolving extraction method

The extraction stage of cannabis processing is important for producing the best yield and compounds suitable for the desired application. For example, excess lipids, waxes, solvents and other components. On the other hand, formulations that require increased purity, such as products for evaporation and inhalation, may require the complete absence of trace amounts of extraction solvent or contaminating compounds.

 

Past extraction methods have been limited to organic extraction, plus temperature treatment, distillation and fractionation. In 2017, advanced extraction methods are increasingly used. The alkaline organic extraction process can include ethanol treatment and agitation prior to filtration and separation of the organic phase. The solution is then solvent removed by vacuum distillation or using a rotary evaporator or rotary evaporator. The heat treatment prior to extraction is used to drive the decarboxylation of cannabinoids to enrich the biologically active form of the compound. Cooling the extraction solvent and extraction solution helps to increase yield and prevent thermal decomposition or product loss.

 

This method has a history of separating relatively crude cannabis extracts for various uses. By using HPLC, TLC and other analytical methods, individual compounds can be further fractionated downstream – cannabinoids such as THC and CBD-pinene and flavonoids. A disadvantage of using these extraction methods for pharmaceutical or other sensitive applications is that residual solvents are typically present in the final product.

 

Another technique based on the same basic premise involves the use of supercritical carbon dioxide as the extraction solvent. The CO 2 is pressurized to its supercritical state and the resulting liquid is passed through a vessel containing the hemp material. After filtration, the CO 2 was removed by reducing the pressure to return it to the gas phase and the extract was solvent free. Advanced equipment may even include downstream fractionation components to further separate specific compounds.

 

Significant advantages of this method include a significant reduction in safety issues compared to volatile and flammable solvents, and no residual organic solvents and potential health effects. A great advantage of the supercritical carbon dioxide process involves the fact that the solvent can be reused and recycled through the unit. In fact, the impact of carbon dioxide on the environment is more subtle, and from a sustainable perspective, this is a superior approach.

 

As the industry develops and the scale of cannabis production expands, efficiency will become key. Extraction efficiency plays an important role in cannabis pipelines in terms of yield, material cost, production time, safety and sustainability.

 

LNEYA low temperature cooling refrigerator LN, LJ series, temperature range -60 ° C ~ -10 ° C, served as a temperature control role in the cannabis extraction process.