Cannabinoid Extraction Using Selective Solvents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting cannabinoids from plant tissue, such as hemp or marijuana, often rely on toxic or non-potable solvents, or are inefficient and costly, particularly when using supercritical carbon dioxide which requires high pressures and lengthy processing times.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating plant tissue to convert carboxylated cannabinoids into their active, non-polar forms, followed by washing with a polar solvent to remove polar contaminants, and then extracting with a selective solvent like ethanol, which is potable and non-harmful, allowing for the preferential removal of cannabinoids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If supercritical CO2 extraction is used to extract cannabinoids, then no residual toxic solvents remain, but the process requires extremely high pressures leading to high equipment costs and takes 8 to 24 hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary component (cannabinoids) from the plant material using a simple solvent system, separating the desired product from contaminants through selective dissolution and filtration, avoiding complex supercritical extraction equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction parameters by using ambient temperature and pressure conditions with selective solvents (ethanol, ethyl acetate, or their mixtures) instead of supercritical CO2 conditions, achieving effective extraction without high equipment costs or lengthy processing times
2Productivity
If conventional organic solvents are used to extract cannabinoids, then extraction efficiency is improved, but toxic or non-potable solvents may be harmful or contaminated with trace amounts of harmful solvents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses food-grade solvents (ethanol, ethyl acetate) that are safe for consumption and easily removable, replacing toxic industrial solvents with benign alternatives that leave no harmful residues in the final product
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses selective solvents as intermediaries that temporarily dissolve cannabinoids from plant material, allowing separation and purification, then evaporates the solvent to leave only the desired cannabinoid product without toxic contamination
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 effectively extracts cannabinoids while avoiding toxic solvents and reducing processing time and costs, ensuring high selectivity and purity of the extracted compounds.
Implementation Method 1
heating the plant tissue to convert carboxylated cannabinoid to a non-polar active form
Implementation Method 2
extracting the non-polar cannabinoid with a selective solvent
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are effective methods for activating, washing, specifically extracting and purifying cannabinoids from Cannabis plant tissues using heat activation, washing impurities away with a polar solvent, optionally modified with an organic acid, base, surfactant or inorganic salt, extracting the activated non-polar cannabinoids with a potable selective solvent such as ethanol. The extracted active ingredients may be purified by chromatography and detected and quantified by mass spectrometry with external or isotopic or otherwise labelled standards.