Super-Cooled Ethanol Extraction to Reduce Chlorophyll Co-Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting cannabinoids and terpenes from plant substrates, such as hydrocarbon and lipid-based extractions, face challenges including solvent volatility, high start-up costs, difficulty in obtaining pure solvents, and safety concerns with DIY extractions, leading to low-quality products and potential hazards.
Innovation Solution
A novel extraction process using 100% grain ethanol as a solvent, which is cooled to -1°C to -50°C to contact the plant substrate for 1-40 minutes, followed by filtration, atmospheric evaporation, and solvent recovery via distillation or rotary evaporator, and purging under vacuum to produce a clean cannabinoid/terpene extract devoid of plant lipids and chlorophyll.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrocarbon solvents (butane, propane) are used for extraction, then extraction efficiency is improved, but safety hazards and start-up costs increase due to volatility and explosion risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of solvent selection from volatile hydrocarbons to non-volatile ethanol, thereby eliminating explosion risks while maintaining extraction efficiency. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by decoupling productivity from safety hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs food-grade ethanol that can be easily obtained and handled without expensive safety infrastructure, replacing costly explosion-proof equipment and ventilation systems required for hydrocarbon extraction.
2Manufacturing precision
If pure hydrocarbon solvents (N-butane, N-hexane) are used, then extraction quality is improved, but availability and cost worsen due to difficulty in obtaining pure solvents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ethanol that can be easily obtained from food-grade sources without requiring specialized purification equipment or processes, making the extraction process accessible to manufacturers without complex solvent purification capabilities.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lipid based solvents are used for extraction, then safety is improved compared to hydrocarbons, but product purity worsens due to co-extraction of plant lipids requiring expensive distillation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively extracts only the desired cannabinoid and terpene components while leaving behind plant lipids and chlorophyll in the plant material, achieving product purity without requiring expensive post-extraction purification steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solvent parameter from lipid-based to polar ethanol-based, which fundamentally alters what compounds are extracted, allowing selective extraction of cannabinoids and terpenes while excluding lipids.
4Manufacturing precision
If super critical CO2 extraction is used, then product purity is improved, but equipment cost and process complexity increase due to expensive machinery and post extraction purification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive supercritical CO2 extraction equipment with simple, inexpensive ethanol extraction apparatus, making high-quality extraction accessible without million-dollar equipment investments.
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 enables the production of high-quality cannabinoid and terpene extracts with minimal investment, ensuring safety and efficiency in a food-grade manufacturing environment, while avoiding the risks associated with hydrocarbon extractions.
Implementation Method 1
the solvent to contact the plant substrate for a period of time between 1 minute and 40 minutes
Implementation Method 2
100% grain ethanol as a solvent, which is cooled to -1°C to -50°C to contact the plant substrate
Implementation Method 3
followed by filtration
Implementation Method 4
a reduction step which can be accomplished via atmospheric evaporation of the solvent
Implementation Method 5
a solvent recovery step which can be accomplished via simple distillation or rotary evaporator apparatus
Implementation Method 6
a purging step under vacuum to remove remaining solvent from the extract
Data Source
AI summary
A system, machines and methods for extracting select moieties, flavonoids, and essential oils from plant material without co-extracting chlorophyll lipids and other undesirable constituents from plants. Super-cooled extraction techniques are taught. Likewise, according to embodiments methods provides 100% grain ethyl alcohol extract with a concentration of chlorophyll that is below 1%.