Trichome Separation Process Using Water and Sieves
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for extracting trichomes from plants are costly, require high maintenance, and produce trichomes with unacceptable levels of non-trichome materials, making it difficult to achieve consumer-grade purity for use in fibrous structures like sanitary tissue products.
Innovation Solution
A process involving mechanical separation, water addition, aeration, and multiple sieving steps using screens of varying mesh sizes to float and separate trichomes from non-trichome materials, allowing for continuous and cost-effective removal of impurities, resulting in trichomes with less than 5% non-trichome materials by weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical cutting and air sorting operations are used to extract trichomes, then trichomes can be separated from plants, but the process is costly, requires high maintenance, and produces trichomes with unacceptable levels of non-trichome materials
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction process is divided into multiple sequential stages: initial mechanical cutting, water immersion, aeration, and multiple sieve passages. Each stage segments the separation task, progressively removing different types of impurities (stems, leaves, sand, clay) to achieve high purity trichomes
Solution Approach 2:
Water serves as an intermediary medium that enables separation of trichomes from non-trichome materials. The water immersion and aeration steps allow trichomes to be distinguished from impurities based on density and buoyancy, facilitating their separation without complex mechanical systems
2Manufacturing precision
If known extraction processes are used, then trichomes can be obtained, but they still contain non-trichome materials such as specks, sand, stems, and clay that are not consumer acceptable
Solution Approach 1:
The process utilizes the natural properties of trichomes and impurities to achieve separation. Water immersion and aeration allow trichomes to naturally distinguish themselves from impurities based on their physical properties (buoyancy, density), eliminating the need for expensive mechanical sorting equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The process employs water (hydraulics) for immersion and aeration steps, and air (pneumatics) for the aeration process itself. These fluid-based methods are more cost-effective and simpler than mechanical cutting and sorting operations, while achieving the required purity levels
3Productivity
If mechanical cutting and air sorting operations are used, then trichomes can be extracted, but the process is batch-oriented rather than continuous and requires high maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction process is designed as a continuous operation where plant material continuously passes through water immersion, aeration, and sieve passages. This continuous flow eliminates batch processing limitations and maintains consistent purity levels without requiring frequent maintenance interruptions
4Manufacturing precision
If screen separation is used to remove non-trichome materials, then some purification is achieved, but the process cannot achieve consumer-grade purity levels
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process uses multiple sieves with different mesh sizes in sequence, with each sieve segment removing specific size ranges of impurities. This segmented approach progressively reduces non-trichome material content to achieve consumer-grade purity levels that single-stage screens cannot attain
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
The process effectively removes non-trichome materials, achieving high purity levels of trichomes suitable for use in fibrous structures, reducing costs and maintenance while improving the quality of extracted trichomes for sanitary tissue products.
Implementation Method 1
adding water from a water source to the mixture to float the trichomes
Implementation Method 2
aerating the slurry by introducing air into the slurry
Data Source
AI summary
A process for separating fibers, including trichomes, from non-wood materials, including non-trichome materials, and more particularly to a process using water to wet the mixture and/or using one or more of a screen, an enzyme, a hydrocylone, and flotation to extract the fibers from non-wood materials.