Hashish Production via Partial Decarboxylation and Single Pressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing batch-like approach to manufacturing hashish products is labor-intensive, reduces volume throughput, and increases costs due to the need for multiple pressing steps and heat application, which complicates the production process and can result in overcooked products.
Innovation Solution
A process involving pre-treating isolated cannabis trichomes with partial decarboxylation and controlled water content, followed by a single pressing step under optimized pressure and duration to form a cohesive hashish product with a significant acid form cannabinoid content, thereby avoiding the need for multiple heat applications and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple pressing steps and heat application are used, then cohesiveness and activation of cannabinoids are improved, but production efficiency decreases and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary decarboxylation to the isolated cannabis trichomes before pressing. By pre-activating the cannabinoids and preparing the trichomes with proper moisture content (10-20%) before the pressing step, the process eliminates the need for subsequent heating and multiple pressing operations, thereby improving throughput while maintaining product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the moisture content parameter of the isolated trichomes to an optimized range of 10-20% before pressing. This parameter adjustment allows the trichomes to become sufficiently cohesive during a single pressing step without requiring additional heat treatment or repeated pressing, thus resolving the contradiction between cohesiveness and production efficiency
2Reliability
If heat is applied during or after pressing, then cannabinoid activation is improved, but risk of overcooking increases and product quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs decarboxylation as a preliminary step before pressing, activating the cannabinoids in advance. This eliminates the need for post-pressing heat application, thereby ensuring complete cannabinoid activation while avoiding the harmful effects of overheating or overcooking during and after pressing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent skips the traditional post-pressing heat treatment step entirely by performing decarboxylation beforehand. This allows the process to rush through to final product formation without unnecessary thermal exposure, maintaining product quality while achieving full cannabinoid activation
3Reliability
If manual pressing is used, then product quality is maintained, but scalability and yield are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the moisture content parameter of isolated trichomes to 10-20% before mechanical pressing. This parameter change enables mechanical presses to achieve cohesive hashish products with quality comparable to manual pressing, while simultaneously improving scalability and yield for industrial production
4Productivity
If a single pressing step is used, then production efficiency is improved, but cohesiveness of product may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary decarboxylation and moisture adjustment to isolated trichomes before pressing. This preparation ensures that the trichomes are pre-conditioned to achieve adequate cohesiveness during a single pressing step, eliminating the need for multiple pressing operations while maintaining product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the moisture content parameter to an optimized range of 10-20% before pressing. This parameter adjustment ensures sufficient cohesiveness is achieved during the single pressing step, resolving the contradiction between production efficiency and product cohesiveness
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 process enhances production efficiency, maintains cannabinoid potency, extends shelf life, and reduces the risk of overcooking, while achieving desired physical properties such as malleability and crumbliness in the hashish product.
Implementation Method 1
pre-heating isolated cannabis trichomes under conditions to obtain partial decarboxylation of the one or more cannabinoid(s)
Implementation Method 2
pressing the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes under conditions to form the hashish product, the hashish product being a cohesive mass
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to hashish products and processes for manufacturing same. The processes comprise pressing partly decarboxylated isolated cannabis trichomes to obtain a cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes. The hashish product comprises a not negligible content in one or more acid form of one or more cannabinoid(s) and can therefore be characterized as having a more extended shelf life. Known prior art processes for manufacturing hashish products have a batch-like approach that involves completely decarboxylating cannabinoid(s) by applying heat to isolated trichomes via the pressing plates or to the pressed trichomes after the pressing step followed by a second pressing step. This batch-like approach to manufacturing hash can be labor intensive, reduce volume throughput and negatively affect overall efficiency of the hashish production process, which increases costs and complicates production.