Cannabis extracts, also known as Hydrodynamic concentrates, are more effective and robust as compared to cannabis buds. It is mostly used for medicinal purposes, and the extraction process of cannabis is a complicated and dangerous process.
The science behind the cannabis extraction process has evolved significantly over time due to the demand for effective technological methods.
Cannabis extraction features excellent importance, and as we said, it is an integral part of medical cannabis space as well as for the development of vape oil and edibles. For this reason, the extraction technologies are the key to the final product.
On the other hand, an extraction process for extracting cannabis for medicinal use is different from the extraction method used for making vape oil. Hence it is highly essential to know all the extraction methods profoundly.
Let’s read more about all the commonly used cannabis extraction methods and their features.
There are mainly three most popular extraction methods which are used in the cannabis industry. They are alcohol extraction, hydrocarbon extraction, and supercritical CO2 extraction.
Alcohol extraction
The alcohol extraction method is one of the most efficient cannabis extraction methods which processes cannabis flowers under a hot, cold, or room temperature condition. It is also known as ethanol extraction.
The hot alcohol extraction method utilizes the Soxhlet extraction technique and processes hot alcohol solvent over the solid cannabis flower and sheds cannabinoids as well as terpenes from the cannabis flower.
The hot alcohol extraction method is not suitable for processing large batches, and it extracts non-essential products as well; hence, you can use the cold alcohol extraction method.
The low temperature eliminates the chances of obtaining plant waxes and carry out the extraction process effectively.
Apart from the hot and cold alcohol extraction method, you can use room temperature ethanol extraction method, which is easy and energy-efficient as compared to the previous methods.
Here you have to dip cannabis flowers into a room temperature ethanol solvent and heat the solution and remove the solvent leaving behind purified cannabis oil.
Hydrocarbon Extraction
Hydrocarbon cannabis extraction method uses butane or propane for extracting terpenes from cannabis, and such terpenes are useful in providing an additional flavor to your final product.
The extraction method initiates with a low boiling point of butane, which is between 0.5 degrees C and at standard pressure. Then the cold butane is poured over the cannabis material to extract cannabis oil and temperature-sensitive terpenes.
In the hydrocarbon extraction method, the low boiling point of butane and propane are beneficial to eliminate solvents by preserving the organic compounds of the cannabis materials. The hydrocarbon extraction method is not quite an automated process; hence, it requires manpower for its operation.
Such extraction is fast and efficient as compared to the alcohol extraction method, but you have to take care of the safety aspects.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction method
Supercritical CO2 cannabis extraction method is one of the newest but popular extraction methods and commonly used in the processing of perfumes and tea apart from cannabis flowers.
The extraction method moves around a dedicated pressure and temperature control machine, which modifies the gaseous CO2 into the supercritical fluid, which usually goes through cannabis material for extracting waxes and oils.
It is a costly method for cannabis extraction, but considering its advantages and long-term viability, you can adopt the technique for cannabis extraction. It is also safer than the hydrocarbon extraction method and does not contain any toxic solvents.
Apart from the above cannabis extraction methods, there are some alternative methods for cannabis extraction, which attracts cannabis extraction industries.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction
The ultrasound-assisted extraction method is mainly for enhancing the efficiency of the alcohol extraction method. Through ultrasonication, it uses sound energy and creates microbubbles in the solvent. The microbubbles get collapsed within the least possible time and produce a temperature of 5000 K and pressure of 500 bar.
Such temperature and pressure help to disrupt the walls of cannabis material and allows the oils to get dissolved into an alcohol solvent quickly and efficiently.
Hydrodynamic extraction
The hydrodynamic extraction method is another alternative method in the field of the cannabis extraction method. It is entirely new for the cannabis industry and uses temperature, ultrasonication, and pressure combinedly and produces a wide range of cannabis extracts from the cannabis flower.
In this process of extraction, the cannabis flowers go through a freezing process to make it solid and cold. The method utilizes ultrasonication and hydrodynamic forces to break the solid cannabis flowers down and producing nanoemulsion.
The nanoemulsion usually contains oils, terpenes as well as cannabinoids, which get extracted through a rigorous process of centrifugal separation, low-temperature vacuum distillation, and drying and produces cannabis extracts.
Read more on cannabis extraction methods and have a better understanding of the new advancements.
