How to Improve Your Cannabis Extraction: Equipment & Extraction Method

Cannabis extraction plays a pivotal role in manufacturing many products throughout the industry. As the cannabis market continues to grow and develop, extraction methods are also changing and improving to meet the demand for high-quality extracts.

In this blog post we will review the following cannabis extraction techniques ethanol extraction, water extraction, and vapor-static extraction. Extraction methods each have their own strengths and challenges, which pushes the importance of educating yourself before selecting which equipment to use to upgrade your cannabis operation.

Ethanol Extraction

Ethanol extraction is a commonly used method within the cannabis industry. This method can be further divided into cold and warm extraction methods. What sets these two apart is that warm ethanol extraction requires the additional process of winterization, this is due to a variety of undesirable compounds that are pulled during the extraction process like chlorophyll, fats, waxes, and lipids. Winterization is the process in which the extracted oil is cooled to solidify the impurities present, then filtered off to achieve the desired purity.

The warm extraction process begins by combining the biomass with ethanol which will dissolve the desired compounds. After this stage, the plant matter will be removed through a filtration process. This separates the extract from the biomass where it can then be winterized and processed further if desired.

In cold ethanol extraction, the process begins with lowering the temperature of the biomass before extraction which streamlines the process. This is because the impurities that would be left in the final product are avoided by freezing the biomass before extraction.

One advantage of ethanol extraction is the ability to achieve full spectrum extraction. Another advantage is that ethanol extraction uses a safe solvent that can be purchased at food grade quality if required. This allows it to be used for manufacturing cannabis extracts for products that need to be safe for human consumption. Ethanol extraction produces high yields, but it is important to note that further processing is required to remove the residual solvent from the product. 

Maratek’s Oil and Ethanol Recovery System (OERS) can recover 99%+ of the ethanol used during extraction. This produces a final product with virtually no remaining ethanol and allows for ethanol reuse, contributing to a more environmentally friendly extraction process. The OERS can be paired with our EV-M system which is a batch centrifugal separator that implements cryogenic ethanol extraction. This system has an extraction efficiency of 95% and high-quality multi-stage filtration, streamlining operation.

Water Extraction

Water extraction is a solventless method. During this process, the cannabis biomass is added to cold water and agitated causing it to gently break off the trichomes without damaging them. The trichomes are the part of the plant that contains most of the cannabinoid content. The resulting mixture is then separated and processed to remove any undesirable compounds and water leaving behind concentrated extract. Water extraction may not produce as high of a yield of cannabinoids as other methods of extraction, but it has a useful ability to preserve more terpenes. This is desirable for some processors as it can provide an enhanced product due to the unique flavors and aromas that terpenes can provide.

Maratek’s Trident system is an excellent choice for water extraction. It is an automated and consistent system that is easy to load, unload, and clean. It is an environmentally friendly system that eliminates the need to purchase and dispose of solvents. The trident system is a closed-loop system that offers customizability to suit your unique needs.

Vapor-Static Extraction

Vapor-Static extraction is a revolutionary hot-air extraction technology that is truly solventless. This process utilizes heat to vaporize and capture desired cannabis compounds directly from the plant material. The vaporized compounds are then shock-cooled into a fog in the water module where the water-soluble compounds and lipids are removed. The fog is then condensed within the electrostatic precipitator module, then condensed into clean solvent-free cannabinoid–rich oil.

Vapor-Static extraction has many advantages when compared to many traditional solvent based extraction methods. As there are no solvents used in the extraction process there is no requirement for solvent recovery, recycling, or disposal, lowering your operational costs. Maratek offers Vapor-Static systems that produce high purity distillate ready cannabis oil with no waxes or sugars. The Vapor-Static system has low energy consumption, low operational costs, and a high throughput.

The cannabis industry is constantly evolving, and extraction methods are an important part in producing a diverse range of products for consumers around the world. Ethanol extraction, water extraction, and vapor-static extraction all offer unique solutions that suit different applications. 

The selection of what method of extraction works best for you can depend on factors like your production requirements, sustainability goals, and your available resources. Staying informed about the latest developments in extraction technology and investing in upgrading your equipment can improve your extraction process substantially. 

If you have questions about what method of extraction would work best for your production, feel free to contact Maratek. A member of our team would be happy to review your application and find the solution best suited for your needs.