Nehal International

CO2 Extraction

What is CO2 Extraction ?

The Supercritical CO2 extraction process creates phase changes in carbon dioxide
utilizing temperature and pressure. CO2 is known as a “tunable solvent” making it
extremely versatile for creating a multitude of end products by controlling temperature
and pressure. These phase changes create an environment to drop out differing
weights of components in the plant material.
The unique design of the Hi-Flow systems allow for separation and collection of these
constituents during a single extraction.This enables collection of light essential oils
separately from other desirable constituents and heavier lipids. Supercritical CO2 fluid
extraction (SCFE) methodology delivers a clean, unaltered, consistent-yet-flexible

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product.

Listing a few advantages of CO2 extraction :

● It can be easily recycled
● Chemically inert. (However Lorn (1988), notes the presence of some acetates on
the raspberry extract, obtained with supercritical CO2)
● Non flammable
● Has good solvent characteristics for non-polar and slightly polar solutes.
● It is a “natural” substance, present in mineral waters and part of the life cycle
● It is easily removed from the product
● The dissolving power and selectively can be controlled by selection of suitable
pressure/temperature combination
● It has a convenient critical temperature (31.04ºC). This enables extractions to be
carried out at comparatively low temperature (often as low as 40 or 50ºC),
decreasing the risk of damage of thermolabile compounds.

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 ● Most of the volatile components, which tend to be lost in hydrodistillation, are
present in the supercritical extracts [Martinez de La Ossa et al. (1991) and
Vardag and Korner (1995)]. Partly because of this, extracts obtained in this way
tend to have flavour and taste, which are well liked by tasty panels.
● Extraction of natural raw material with supercritical CO 2, allows the obtaining of
extracts which flavour and taste are perfectly respected and reproducible
● The supercritical fluid ability to vaporise non-volatile components (at moderate
temperatures) reduces the energy spent, when compared to distillation.
● Once the pressure excess in the equipment prevents oxygen entry while
extraction occurs, oxidation reactions don’t happen
● The number of solvents possible to be used on supercritical extraction is superior
of classic organic solvents
● Supercritical fluids have a superior selectivity although they have an inferior
solvent power than classic organic solvents
● Supercritical extraction can be connected directly to a chromatograph, allowing
analysis immediately after extraction.

How Does CO2 Extraction Work ?

We all know that CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is a gas at room temperature. This is the same
infamous gas responsible for climate change and every responsible and sustainable
industry is trying to reduce its CO2 emission.

When kept under control, it is inert so has no scent or colour; is non-toxic; has GRAS
status (that means, it is Generally Recognised As Safe under FDA rules); and is
affordable and available.

CO2 has the ability to behave like a fluid when compressed under certain conditions.
Acting like a fluid, it can dissolve non-polar material with a low molecular weight in a
process known as Supercritical Fluid extraction (SCF).

CO2 is a powerful solvent under pressure. Add temperature variations and you have
a highly tunable solvent, capable of extracting certain compounds from the plant without
destroying their essence. Other forms of extraction are not as precise and can destroy
the flavonoids or scent compounds, which are highly sought after in the cannabis
industry. They are known as terpenes and they contain many elements that have
proven effective in a variety of medical issues. A combination of terpenes and all other
cannabinoids in the plant creates full spectrum oil which has what’s called The
Entourage Effect.

There are some minor disadvantages :

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 ● Higher costs and technological requirements compared to a conventional
extraction of maceration;
● Usually a very intense colour of the extract; and
● CO2 extracts generally cost more.

What is the CO2 extraction process ?

The plant material is ground up to a coffee-ground consistency (approximately 100
microns). This is the ideal surface size for CO2 – any smaller and there’s a risk of the
plant material getting through one of the filters and contaminating the system, and any
larger, there’s a risk of channeling, which is exactly how it sounds – the CO2 finds the
path of least resistance through the plant material and not all the plant material is
exposed to the solvent.

CO2 Extracted Oil :

Depending on the parameters used, the extracted oil may require post-
processing work to filter out the fats, waxes, and lipids that are pulled along with
the cannabinoids. This usually requires additional equipment and some training
to get the final product. However, one big advantage of CO2 is that there is no
residual solvent left in the extraction – it simply bubbles away after the extraction.

Is CO2 Extraction Safe?

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CO2 is not a volatile or explosive solvent. In fact, CO2 is the main component of fire

extinguishers! The most safety equipment an operator needs is a CO2 monitor in case

of a leak. However, no special safety equipment is needed in a CO2 laboratory, like

there is in other forms of extraction.

The Best Cannabis Extraction Equipment

That depends on what you’re trying to create! Some systems are better at creating

certain products than others. For example, if you’re looking for terpenes (the flavonoids

and taste elements), look at CO2 for your extraction. CO2 is highly tunable and can be

set to pull certain components from the plant. If you want to produce live rosin, butane

or propane are ideal – this is because live rosin is produced with fresh (wet) plant

material and CO2 requires very dry plant material as a source. Distillates are best

produced using butane/propane or ethanol. For large quantities, most people turn to

ethanol because it is fast, and cheap. However, it is very limited and will pull a lot of

undesirable compounds, requiring a lot of post processing after extraction. It isn’t

tunable like CO2

What extraction method is the best?

There isn’t one! Instead, there is a best method to create a specific product. Let’s

explore that concept: all extraction methods are good for vape pen oil. CO2 is not good

for live resin because the plant needs to be as fresh as possible and CO2 doesn’t like

the water content. CO2 is okay for dabbing products, but it’s labor intensive to produce

the right consistency (it can be done but might not be worth it if that’s all you’re planning

to produce). The same goes for distillates – hydrocarbons and ethanol are best for this

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product. CO2 is first in class for terpenes though – it is a highly tunable solvent, which

allows you to separate various compounds, and terpenes are one of them. Oils used for

edibles are also best produced with CO2, but for infused products, look at ethanol.

Here are some CO2 Extraction Machines A supercritical closed loop

industrial CO2 extraction machine is used to extract different molecules from botanicals

using liquid or supercritical CO2. The use of CO2 means that typical solvents that might not

only be dangerous to work with but also could affect the chemical composition of the oils you

are extracting are no longer a concern, creating a high-performance extraction system for

many applications. It’s an exceptionally efficient solvent for botanical extraction.

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 CDMH.5-2X-2F

CDMH.10-2X-2F

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 CDMH.20-2X-2F

CDMH50-2X-2F

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CDMH.100-2X-2F

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CDMH.200-2X-2F

What is CO2 used for ?

Utilized for the extraction of premium-quality Essential Oils.The aromatic parts of the
plants like Leaves, Flowers, Stems, etc. are used for the extraction of Essential
Oils.CO2 is used as a carrier to obtain the oil from the parts of the plant.For the
extraction of Essential Oils, the only high pressure is required. The CO2 extraction
process occurs at moderate temperature.Carbon dioxide is used particularly in the food,
beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry for extracting natural substances,
aromas, fats, oils, waxes, polymers, enzymes and colourants in their supercritical
physical state. Despite its bad reputation as a greenhouse gas, CO2 is a natural and
environmentally-friendly solvent which has advantages over synthetic and harmful
media such as n-hexane when it comes to sustainability. Oscillating displacement
pumps are ideal for supercritical CO2 extraction.

Some of the Standardized Products are here :

Black Pepper Oil Curcuma Longa Oil Sea Buckthorn Oil

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Coleus Extract 10% Ginger Extract / Oil & Vanilla Oil
Oleoresins

Coleus Oil Rosemary Oil / Extract Ambrette Seed Oil

Co2

Curcuma Longa Oil Co2 Coffee Robusta Oil Co2 Coffee Arabica Oil
(Turmeric Oil) Co2

Fenugreek Oil Co2 Ginger Oil Co2 Sea Buckthorn Oil

Co2

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