Cannabidiol Extraction Plant Supercritical CO2 Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting cannabinoids from plants like marijuana and industrial hemp are inefficient in separating and purifying individual compounds, particularly CBD, due to contamination issues and limitations in solvent extraction processes.
Innovation Solution
A continuous flow-through process involving shredding, solvent extraction with alcohols and non-polar solvents like petroleum ether, followed by supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extraction to isolate and purify cannabinoids, ensuring high CBD concentrations and minimizing wax contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If solvent extraction using hydrocarbons and alcohols is used, then cannabinoids can be extracted from plants, but separation into individual compounds is inefficient and contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction process is divided into multiple sequential stages: initial solvent extraction with hydrocarbons/alcohols, filtration to remove plant material, then supercritical CO2 extraction for purification. Each stage performs a specific function to progressively separate and purify individual cannabinoid compounds, achieving high precision through process segmentation rather than attempting single-step separation.
Solution Approach 2:
Supercritical carbon dioxide serves as an intermediary substance between the initial crude extract and the final purified product. The CO2 extraction step acts as a mediating purification stage that selectively separates cannabinoids from contaminants like waxes and chlorophyll, enabling high-purity individual compound isolation without direct contact between conflicting chemical systems.
2Reliability
If traditional solvent extraction is used, then extraction can be performed, but wax contamination and purification limitations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition properties of carbon dioxide between supercritical and gaseous states. CO2 is pressurized and heated to become supercritical for extraction, then depressurized to return to gaseous state, leaving no residual solvent and preventing wax contamination. This phase transition mechanism enables reliable extraction while inherently eliminating the harmful contamination issues associated with traditional solvent methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction process dynamically changes physical parameters (temperature and pressure) to optimize extraction at each stage. The supercritical CO2 extraction operates at elevated pressure and temperature to efficiently extract cannabinoids, then parameters are reduced to allow CO2 to return to gaseous state for complete solvent removal. These parameter changes enable high extraction efficiency while preventing wax and contaminant co-extraction.
3Productivity
If batch processing is used, then extraction can be performed, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous processing where plant material is continuously fed through the extraction system rather than batch-by-batch processing. The supercritical CO2 extraction operates continuously with constant flow of CO2 through the plant material, maintaining steady-state extraction conditions that simultaneously achieve high productivity and consistent purification quality. The continuous operation eliminates downtime between batches while maintaining precise separation through controlled parameter conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process achieves high CBD concentrations of up to 90% purity, enabling efficient extraction and purification of cannabinoids, including CBD, THC, and CBN, while maintaining the integrity of the compounds and allowing for the use of fresh, undried plant material.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting the cannabinoid mixture to a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide to isolate and purify the cannabinoids
Implementation Method 2
soaking the shredded plant material in a polar solvent such as alcohol to dissolve the cannabinoids into the polar solvent
Implementation Method 3
treating the polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture to a non-polar solvent or a combination of non-polar solvents to remove the cannabinoid compounds into the non-polar solvent
Data Source
AI summary
A method for extracting cannabinoids from plant material containing one or more cannabinoids including: (1) shredding the plant material into an appropriate size; (2) soaking the shredded plant material in a polar solvent to dissolve the one or more cannabinoids into the alcohol to form a polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture; (3) separating the polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture from residual solid plant material; (4) treating the polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture to a non-polar solvent to remove the one or more cannabinoids into the non-polar solvent to form a non-polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture; (5) distilling the non-polar solvent/cannabinoid mixture to separate the non-polar solvent from the one or more cannabinoids; and (6) subjecting the cannabinoid mixture to a supercritical fluid to isolate and purify the cannabinoid mixture into individual cannabinoids of the one or more cannabinoids.