Surfactant Plant Extract Compositions for Cannabinoid Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for extracting terpenes and cannabinoids from plants are inefficient, costly, environmentally unfriendly, and require complex equipment, often leading to undesirable chemical changes and low product recovery, with ethanol extraction causing wax removal issues and supercritical CO2 extraction requiring high pressure and energy.
Innovation Solution
The use of surfactants in a liquid extraction medium, including amide-based and pH-dependent surfactants, to dissolve, suspend, or emulsify target plant materials, such as terpenes and cannabinoids, without the need for organic solvents, combined with processing methods like aqueous wash steps and pH manipulation to isolate and purify the target compounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ethanol extraction is used to extract cannabinoids, then extraction efficiency is improved, but wax removal becomes complicated and costly requiring multiple freezing cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary component (cannabinoids) using ethanol, then removes the problematic component (waxes) through a single filtration step rather than multiple freezing cycles, simplifying the overall process while maintaining extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameters by using controlled temperature and pressure conditions during ethanol extraction and filtration, allowing cannabinoids to remain dissolved while waxes precipitate and can be removed through simple filtration without requiring multiple freezing-thawing cycles
2Manufacturing precision
If supercritical CO2 extraction is used, then extraction selectivity is improved, but equipment complexity and energy consumption increase due to high pressure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex supercritical CO2 extraction equipment with simpler, more affordable extraction apparatus that uses ethanol as a solvent, achieving sufficient extraction selectivity without requiring high-pressure systems or specialized equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction parameters by using ambient or mildly elevated temperature and pressure conditions with ethanol instead of requiring supercritical conditions (high pressure and temperature), thereby simplifying equipment needs while maintaining effective extraction selectivity for cannabinoids
3Productivity
If supercritical CO2 extraction is used, then extraction efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases due to high pressure and drying requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters from supercritical conditions requiring high energy input for compression and heating to mild extraction conditions using ethanol at ambient or slightly elevated temperatures, dramatically reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical compression system required for supercritical CO2 extraction with a chemical solution approach using ethanol as a solvent that naturally dissolves cannabinoids at low pressure, eliminating the need for high-pressure compressors and associated energy consumption
4Object-affected harmful factors
If vegetable oils are used for terpene extraction, then safety is improved, but product purity deteriorates due to difficult-to-remove oil flavors and odors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts terpenes using ethanol which does not impart strong flavors or odors, then removes excess ethanol through evaporation or filtration, achieving high product purity without the difficult-to-remove vegetable oil flavors and odors that contaminate oil-based extractions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ethanol as an intermediary solvent that copies the extraction function of vegetable oils (safe, non-toxic) but without the unwanted side effect of imparting strong flavors and odors to the final product, allowing for easier purification
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 approach enhances extraction efficiency, reduces environmental impact, and simplifies the process by eliminating the need for costly wax removal steps and high-pressure equipment, while maintaining the stability and concentration of terpenes and cannabinoids.
Implementation Method 1
surfactant that is effective to contain (e.g., dissolve, solubilize, suspend, or emulsify) desired target plant material
Implementation Method 2
surfactant that is effective to contain (e.g., dissolve, solubilize, suspend, or emulsify) desired target plant material
Implementation Method 3
surfactant that is effective to contain (e.g., dissolve, solubilize, suspend, or emulsify) desired target plant material
Implementation Method 4
a "pH-dependent" surfactant, e.g., a nonionic surfactant, that forms an emulsion in a liquid extraction medium at basic pH
Data Source
AI summary
Described are liquid compositions that contain a desired (e.g., extracted) plant material such as cannabinoid, terpene, terpenoid, or the like, contained, e.g., dissolved, suspended, or emulsified, in the liquid, which contains surfactant; methods of preparing these types of liquid compositions; and methods of processing this type of liquid composition to collect, isolate, concentrate, or purify a desired target material contained in the liquid composition.