Cannabinoid Acid Extraction via pH-Controlled Aqueous Precipitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting cannabinoids from cannabis materials are costly, hazardous, and inefficient, requiring dewaxing, solvent recovery, and distillation to achieve high purity, while yielding low amounts of high-purity cannabinoid acids.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous solutions at high pH are used to solubilize cannabinoid acid anions for extraction, followed by precipitation of protonated cannabinoid acids at low pH and filtration, eliminating the need for dewaxing and distillation, and allowing for scalable, cost-effective, and high-yield extraction and purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional solvent extraction methods (ethanol, propane, butane) are used to extract cannabinoids, then extraction speed is fast, but operational costs increase and safety hazards arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, hazardous solvents (ethanol, propane, butane) with water as the extraction medium. Water is inexpensive, non-flammable, and safe to handle at scale, eliminating the need for expensive solvent recovery systems and explosion-proof equipment while maintaining extraction effectiveness through pH-controlled solubilization of cannabinoid acid anions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the extraction medium by using aqueous solutions at controlled pH levels (high pH for extraction, low pH for precipitation). This parameter change allows water to effectively extract cannabinoid acids without requiring flammable organic solvents, thus reducing safety hazards and operational costs while maintaining fast extraction speed
2Object-affected harmful factors
If supercritical CO2 extraction is used to obtain cleaner extracts, then safety improves, but equipment cost and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive supercritical CO2 extraction equipment with simple aqueous extraction apparatus. By using water at controlled pH levels instead of supercritical fluids, the invention eliminates the need for high-pressure systems, complex temperature control, and specialized equipment, thereby dramatically reducing capital investment and operational complexity while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and chemical properties of the extraction medium by using liquid aqueous solutions at ambient or mild temperatures instead of supercritical CO2 requiring high pressure and temperature. This parameter change simplifies the equipment needed while achieving safe and effective cannabinoid extraction
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple distillation iterations are performed to achieve high purity (>90%) neutral cannabinoids, then purity increases, but yield decreases due to cannabinoid degradation at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extracting neutral cannabinoids and then converting them to acids through multiple distillation steps, the patent inverts the approach by directly extracting cannabinoid acid anions using high pH aqueous solutions. This is followed by low pH precipitation to obtain high purity cannabinoid acids in a single step, eliminating the need for repeated high-temperature distillations and associated degradation losses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pH parameter of the extraction and purification process to directly target cannabinoid acid anions rather than neutral cannabinoids. By extracting at high pH and precipitating at low pH, the method achieves high purity (>80%) cannabinoid acids without requiring multiple high-temperature distillation iterations, thereby preventing thermal degradation and maximizing yield
4Object-affected harmful factors
If bubble hash method is used to collect trichomes mechanically, then no harmful solvents are required, but extraction yield remains low (<5% cannabinoid yield)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical environment by using high pH aqueous solutions instead of mechanical abrasion with ice water. This chemical parameter change enables effective solubilization of cannabinoid acid anions from ground cannabis material, dramatically increasing extraction yield to up to 97% while still using only water as the extraction medium, thus maintaining the advantage of no harmful solvents
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
This method achieves high extraction yields (up to 97%) and purities (up to 86%) of cannabinoid acids, reducing operational and capital costs, and producing safer, high-purity products without residual organic solvents, enabling direct use or conversion into other cannabinoids.
Implementation Method 1
aqueous solutions at high pH to solubilize cannabinoid acid anions for extraction
Implementation Method 2
precipitation of protonated cannabinoid acids at low pH
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to methods of extracting cannabinoid acids from cannabis plant material by combining the plant material with an aqueous solution having a high pH to solubilize cannabinoid acid anions, followed by precipitation of the cannabinoid acids at low pH and filtration. The method provides yields of up to 97%, while high pH purification of ethanol extracted oils yielded purities up to 86%.