In the cannabis industry, hydrocarbon, CO2, and ethanol are the most common solvents for extracting CBD, THC, and other compounds from cannabis plants. Ethanol, in particular, has become a highly favored solvent for large-scale extraction operations. The experts at American Material Processing (AMP) Equipment can assist you in determining if ethanol extraction is the best method for your business.
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What Is Ethanol Extraction?
Ethanol’s ease of use and wide availability makes it one of the more common solvents for cannabis extraction. As a polar solvent, ethanol’s chemical makeup allows it to dissolve a variety of compounds when mixing with a cannabis plant during extraction, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, lipids, and waxes, as well as chlorophyll and other water-soluble molecules.
Ethanol extraction is a highly efficient and effective single-stream process performed at varying temperatures, dependent upon the desired effects. Warm ethanol achieves full-spectrum concentration by quickly washing a cannabis plant’s material, while cold ethanol efficiently generates concentrated distillate.
Cold Ethanol Extraction
As the preferred extraction method in the cannabis industry, the ideal temperature range for performing cold ethanol extraction is between -22° F and -40° F. The cold extraction process freezes water, lipids, fats, or any other unwanted compounds, preventing them from dissolving into the ethanol, resulting in increased yields.
Warm Ethanol Extraction
While performing warm ethanol extraction is a simpler process, it is harder to remove molecules of water, lipids, and fats using this method. It requires completing an additional winterization process to prevent these materials from ending up in the final product. During winterization, the extracted oil is chilled to freeze undesirable compounds and allow for their removal.
Ethanol Extraction Process
Like other cannabis solvent extractions, ethanol extraction encompasses three main stages:
- Extraction
- Evaporation
- Distillation
Since the extraction efficiency of polar cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) compounds increases with cold ethanol, cannabis manufacturers commonly use a liquid-solid mix and centrifuge extraction method with the solvent chilled. First, manufacturers will grind cannabis plant material down into a uniform amount, place it in a mesh bag, and move the bag into a centrifuge basket. Once the temperature of the ethanol lowers to -40° F, it transfers to the chamber of the centrifuge for soaking the cannabis. Once turned on, the machine mixes the ethanol and cannabis material while simultaneously extracting the solute, which ultimately pumps from the basket of the centrifuge into a collection container. After a solvent removal procedure utilizing evaporation, such as rotary or falling film evaporation, what remains is the extracted oil that’s all set for formulation.
Benefits of Ethanol Extraction over Other Methods
The cannabis extraction process that manufacturers use can make a big difference in production efficiency and final product quality. Compared to other methods, ethanol extraction is a highly advantageous process due to the following:
- Affordable equipment and replacement components. Ethanol extraction systems are often less expensive than their CO2 counterparts with similar capacities because they function at lower pressures. Maintenance is also simpler because it is easy to find affordable replacement components should a part fail.
- Reduced energy consumption. Ethanol extraction systems are less power-intensive, extracting a larger amount of product in less time than other solvent extraction processes for significant power savings. With collection and extraction vessels having capacities of 40 L or 60 L, respectively, the process can successfully recover up to 85% of the total solvent used.
- Rapid extractions. Ethanol efficiently draws unwanted materials directly out of the biomass, which is a benefit over CO2 and other solvents. Therefore, when extraction requires winterization, the use of ethanol facilitates the process. This makes ethanol extraction ideal for distillate products.
- Scalability. Ethanol extraction systems are easy to scale for increasing the desired production volume, with some ethanol-based extraction centers handling around 10,000 lbs per day. However, because ethanol is a flammable substance, be aware of national stipulations that limit the amount of flammable liquid materials allowed in any one facility. While the cannabis industry doesn’t currently have many commonly accepted standards, there are some local and national regulations based on a facility and its operating procedures, including fire codes, flammable liquid restrictions, and food-grade processing standards.
Custom Ethanol Extraction Equipment Solutions From AMP Equipment
Efficient production begins with quality machinery, and AMP Equipment offers high-performance ethanol extraction equipment solutions. We design modular ethanol extraction skids with extreme flexibility in mind, giving each individual machine the capability of processing 2,400 lbs each day. Our team can design customized extraction equipment to fit your facility’s unique needs and comply with all local regulations. Contact us to learn more about our products and how ethanol extraction equipment can help elevate your business.