Safe ethanol extraction through centrifugation

There are 3 popular ways of chemical extraction that are known in the cannabis industry. Butane (hydrocarbon) extraction, CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction.

The reason why ethanol extraction is becoming more and more the process of choice is because it’s the most effective, efficient and most importantly, SAFE way.

Our cannabis extraction equipment ensures the safe removal of ethanol extract from cannabis and hemp as well as the removal of residual ethanol in the second step before disposal.

The process can be divided mainly into 3 steps:
extraction, filtration (through centrifugation) and winterization.
These processes are briefly described below.

Ethanol extraction
Solvent ethanol extraction is often the first step in refinement in order to recover cannabis essential oils containing precious THC, CBD and therpene compounds. The aim of extraction is to produce oils that are free from particulates and that contain the medicinally-relevant compounds (cannabinoids) in a higher concentration than raw cannabis and hemp. In the ethanol extraction process the choice of process parameters will vary depending on starting materials (quality and size) desired end product and other considerations. Ethanol extraction is often used due to its availability, efficiency and relatively safe process.
Centrifugation
Filtration is a common step in producing cannabis and hemp concentrates. Centrifugation is the most effective and efficient way of separating the extracts from the solid biomass material. The extraction process can either be done in an upstream vessel or even be performed IN the centrifuge. The goal of filtration is to improve clarity, increase potency, enhance stability and create overall better consumer experience. Highest possible yield of wanted active ingredients and at the same time lowest possible amount of solids and unwanted substances in the extract are the most common demands for the filtration step. It can well be that in downstream processes additional filtration steps, e.g. in membrane filter, are requested.
Winterization
After initial extraction most of the products require further processing before they are ready for consumption. Winterization is often the next step in purification of cannabis oils, where the main goal is to precipitate plant waxes and lipids so these can be filtered out. In ethanol extraction the plant lipids and cannabis extracts are both soluble at room temperature and cannot be separated. At low temperatures the waxes and lipids are no longer soluble and can be filtered from the solution.

In the winterization process, extraction time and temperature is critical. Low temperatures make sure that unwanted terpenes, oils and other substances are kept out of the extract containing solvent. The extraction time defines the kind and amount of active ingredients being captured in the solvent. Exact dosing amount of the solvent as well as a constant temperature ensure the optimum and repeatable extraction.