CO2 extraction

GrowTutor members & staff share their knowledge of cannabis concentrates & extractions.
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rkymtnman
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CO2 extraction

Post by rkymtnman »

don't know what it costs (there is a form to fill out for price info) but this is the safest extraction method out there from what i've read

here's something for the GT labs:

http://www.apekssupercritical.com/botan ... op-system/
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SisterMaryElephant
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

Nice but I'll pass on that price check. ;)

I thought about using dry ice (which is CO2) extraction and then just using trichomes for honey/gd/butter/etc but even that would get expensive really quick and waste a lot too.
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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PsychedelicSam
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

I'm not sure why, but the mmj Farmers Market here classes CO2 extractions with BHO and doesn't allow either concentrate in the market, only if it's ethanol. I was surprised when I saw that because I can't think of anything that would need to be purged from it. Of course, dry ice extraction is a form of CO2 extraction, but isn't limited there. By the looks and price of that equipment, that process appears to be designed for a large warehouse operation, well out of my range...but I am interested in the process.

If I had an outside space available, I'd be checking out acetone for a solvent. It's supposed to make a great oil and is clean because it fully evaporates. Maybe someday. :roll:
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SisterMaryElephant
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

Yep, I like the machine but it seems like WAY more than I'd need...for now. ;)
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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Heisenberg
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by Heisenberg »

confirming acetone as a fantastic solvent, cheap, easy to handle, transfers to other solvents easy enough
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by Heisenberg »

Acetone - especially suitable for soxhlet extraction. gets every last bit of what can be extracted. really really fun to use. Lots of youtube vids on their use.

Soxhlets use Lots of tap water for cooling however, so best to look into an alternative [+supplemental] cooling method to keep water cost down. maybe utilize cooling fins like computer cpu fans have?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soxhlet_extractor Insulate stuff that should stay hot, to keep the heat centralized. Insulate the cooling water and cooling areas to keep the heat out of the cooling system.

CO2 extraction can benefit from insulating considerations like these

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SisterMaryElephant
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

Does acetone also extract the chlorophyll or would it only extract the stuff we want? ;)
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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Heisenberg
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by Heisenberg »

Acetone basically extracts everything acetone can extract. Technically, everything having some "polarity" to the molecular structure will dissolve in acetone....to varying degrees, but none-the-less extraction occurs to those polar compounds. For the most part, only non-polar oils stay in the matrix. Matrix is a term describing what you're extracting from.
A soxhlet extractor enables continous extraction. This continual process alone is immensely effective. An added bonus is the solvent in contact w/ the matrix is warm, aiding solubility. Many compounds of a biological nature are reactive, meaning they'll chemically react if exposed to certain things and more-so in certain conditions, like elevated temperatures. Acetone is somewhat reactive, which is a drawback, but moderately so only to some chemical groups. Basically don't worry about it & check w/ the experts. A good testing facility would be invaluable in quantitating recoveries and losses from different extraction conditions.
Acetone extracts chlorophyl. Simple column chromatography separates chlorophyl out easily.
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Heisenberg
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Re: CO2 extraction

Post by Heisenberg »

CO2 extraction is really kicking off. So much so that the process is being used more by ppl who don't have degrees, because it's not necessary to know how someone engineered things. I first found out about CO2 extraction from a fellow PhD coworker who was appointed to exhaust all discovery methods specifically for extracting PAH's, that's when he shared how successful CO2 had been for decaffeinating coffee beans. I hope to bring some preliminary tst results from additional methods following CO2...something no1 I've come in contact with has heard of being done. They're so happy with the initial result of CO2, no1's bothered to assess what has been missed by CO2

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