55
Figure 6: Vermont Hemp raw bio-botanical material (left) and extracts generated from each cyclone separator (right); from left to right CS1 2300 psi (158 bar) 45ºC, CS2 1050psi (75 bar) 40ºC, CS3 700 psi (53 bar) 35ºC. Note: Under these conditions the dark plant pigments (CS1) and light volatile oils (CS3) are fractionated from the bulk extract (CS2).
loaded in the vessel, since the runtime and flow rate were equivalent. Temperature, pressure, run-time, and flow rate data was verified for all six runs using ChromScope software (data not shown) and no significant difference in operating parameters were observed for the 6 runs. It is possible that vessel packing heterogeneity or changes in the hemp feedstock over time resulted in the decreased extract yield. Further work should be done to investigate the effect of feedstock variability and vessel packing heterogeneity on cannabis extraction outcomes.
By extracting with CO2 only, it was
possible to effectively separate the dark plant pigments and light volatile oils from the bulk extract (Figure 6). By generating three distinct fractions from a single extraction, extraction facilities are able to generate multiple processing streams and products from a single extraction. For example, in this scenario the dark CS1 fraction, ~20% of the total extract, was directed towards a CBD-A purification pathway encompassing chlorophyll and wax removal followed by SFC purification.
Figure 7: Collection vessel mass data for six hemp extractions. Identical conditions were run with exception to the CS1 pressure for extraction 1; CS1 pressure was 138 bar for CS1 in extraction 1 and 158 bar for the five subsequent extractions.
Fractions 2 and 3 were combined and directed towards a more traditional pathway involving only wax removal.
In the raw bio-botanical material, cannabinoids are present as the acidic precursors to the ‘active’ neutral
cannabinoids [5]. Upon degradation by heat and light, the acidic cannabinoids convert to the neutral forms [9]. While most of the cannabinoid research has focused on the neutral forms of the cannabinoids, there has been increasing interest in therapeutic
Figure 8: Cannabinoid yield and decarboxylation data for the six hemp extractions performed in this study.
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