Supercritical CO2 is perfect for hemp extraction and THC remediation.
CO2 or carbon dioxide is a gas at standard condition. Carbon dioxide reaches the supercritical state at 1071 psi and 31.1°C. When a CO2n molecule is in a supercritical state, it has properties of both liquid and gas. Supercritical CO2 is advantageous for extraction purposes because it can reach into incredibly small spaces like gas but can also dissolve and mimic a liquid solvent. It is the best of both worlds. The physical properties of supercritical CO2 can be easily manipulated during the process, which allows it to bond to any molecule the producer chooses.
Supercritical CO2 uses.
The most common use of supercritical carbon dioxide is extraction. The process has many organic applications, especially in the hemp industry, where it is most often used to extract THC. Similarly, the removal of specific components like CBN or pesticides is also possible. Supercritical CO2 is also commonly used for caffeine extraction from coffee beans, dry cleaning, and semiconductor wafer cleaning.
How does the supercritical CO2 process work?
Supercritical CO2 is perfect for hemp extraction and THC remediation. It also has significant benefits for a wide range of uses, functional foods, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, removal of harmful substances, cleaning, and more.
Large scale supercritical CO2 processing.
The extraction process begins by placing the ground plant material (biomass) into an extraction vessel. Next, CO2 gas undergoes high temperature and pressure until it reaches a supercritical state. A pump then forces the supercritical CO2 into the extraction vessel, where it breaks the trichomes, allowing it to dissolve part of the plant material. A pressure release valve then allows the material to flow into a separate vessel, where an internal compressor and heater are used to adjust pressure and temperature. By changing the temperature and pressure as well as flow rate, specific molecules will bond to CO2, separating them from the plant – biomass material. Many systems recycle the CO2 by rerouting it back into the tank to be used during the next extraction. Finally, the extract is collected in a glass vessel, such as a beaker.
High Purity Extractions offers numerous supercritical CO2 services including:
CO2 THC remediation – Our CO2 THC remediation technology can separate THC from CBD in a complete system, devoid of harsh solvents and media. We can accept any input material and bring it to 85-95% CBD that is below .1% THC concentration.
CO2 CBN remediation – Similar to our CO2 THC remediation technology, we also can remove CBN from any CBD matrix.
CO2 THC+CBN remediation – We also can remove both THC and CBN in the same process
CO2 Pesticide Remediation – We can remove pesticides from any botanical extract, including non-hemp!
CO2 THC to CBN Conversion – We can convert any cannabinoid matrix that contains THC into CBN. In a CO2 system without any co-solvents.
CO2 CBDA Isolation – We can also separate CBDA from any incoming Hemp biomass! CBDA isolate is an excellent addition to your vape cartridge formula to limit crystallization.
CO2 Tolling – We can toll a variety of compounds in CO2 to create various extracts.
If you would like to discuss your processing needs, please contact us via email, or give us a call today! 617.521.8532
Sources:
coleparmer.com – https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/supercritical-co2-extraction-method
