Butane vs. CO2 Which is the best extraction method?

Written by

Simon Šfiligoj

CBD Manufacturing

The information provided in our articles has undergone a thorough research process by a team of writers, editors, legal advisors, and medical experts to guarantee accuracy. Only reputable sources have been cited.

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Using water, alcohol, or even oils as solvents is one of the oldest methods of extraction. However, these methods result in very poor-quality crude products with numerous impurities. Although these methods are still widely used, industries prefer more efficient methods that help get purer products with the fuller extract.

One such way of getting high-quality natural extracts is using supercritical gases. Under high pressure and yet maintaining high temperature, it is possible to convert any gas into a cloud-like state. It is something in between the liquid and gaseous state. Supercritical solvents have much greater solubility, and they can readily penetrate natural raw materials, helping extract the most beneficial compounds. Moreover, this method allows altering the solvency of supercritical gas by altering the temperature and pressure, thus getting very different types of extracts.

Two of the most common supercritical gases used in the industrial extraction of CBD are hydrocarbon gases like butane or propane or using CO2. However, both these methods have their advantages and drawbacks.

Comparing BHO Extraction against CO2 Extraction

BHO stands for butane hash oil or CBD extracted using butane as a solvent. Butane and carbon dioxide are very different kinds of gases with entirely different physical properties. It also means that their properties as supercritical gas and solvent differ. It essentially means that CBD extract using these gases would differ considerably. Before looking deeper into the differences, let us understand more about these two ways of extraction.

What is BHO Extraction

It uses butane gas for extraction. Supercritical butane is an excellent solvent; thus, it has a fantastic ability to penetrate cannabis and strip not only cannabinoids but also terpenes, lipids, waxes. It creates quite a potent and full-spectrum end product.

Using butane for CBD extraction is one of the fastest and efficient methods. By altering the pressure and temperature, one can get different types of resins fit for various uses.

Many professionals like butane as it helps preserve various active compounds, textures, and aroma of the CBD. It is especially good for creating CBD distillate. The end result of such extraction is a high-terpene and broad-spectrum extract.

Since this method is among the faster methods, it results in time-saving and cost savings.

Once the extraction is complete, most modern machines would recycle the butane by removing it from the extract by heating or reducing the pressure. As most modern types of equipment are closed-loop, very little butane would escape along with the end product.

However, critics of butane may not like that some traces of solvent are still left in the final product. In addition, butane is toxic to the human body. Nonetheless, experience shows that it is left in minimal amounts to pose any health hazards. Another worry regarding its use is that butane is a highly inflammable gas, thus issues in handling it. 

Further, it is worth knowing that no closed-loop machine can recycle 100% of the gases. For most, 95% would be a limit. It means that about 5% butane is still released into the environment during each cycle. Thus, butane extraction has its environmental costs.

What is CO2 Extraction

Supercritical CO2 extraction is the most common way of extraction these days. It is good in the way that CO2 is a highly safe gas. CO2 is present in the air and is also produced as a byproduct of the metabolic activity of the human body. 

It appears that supercritical CO2 is an excellent solvent. However, it is not very good for extracting terpenes. That is why many machines using CO2 may use other solvents like ethyl alcohol to get full spectrum extract, but this can add up to the costs. Nonetheless, solvents like ethyl alcohol are safe for humans and the environment.

Additionally, CO2 extraction results in a resin that must still be processed before use. Thus, it must be winterized and go through fractional distillation to get the usable product.

Despite some hassles, CO2 is relatively safe to handle. Moreover, its leakage does not pose much threat to health.

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What is the Difference between BHO and CO2 extraction

Generally, butane (BHO) helps get CBD resin faster, more efficiently. BHO resins are also rich in the aroma as it preserves terpenes. Therefore, it is an excellent way of producing full-spectrum CBD. When used at an industrial scale, it is also cheaper than supercritical CO2 extraction.

However, things are not so simple as they may sound. Butane still leaves some residue in the end product, and CO2 does not. Further, handling butane requires additional licenses, and investment in the infrastructure, as it poses a threat. Butane comes under highly flammable and hazardous substances.

Every country would have some strict fire safety requirements for using butane. This means high expenses on ventilation. It also requires building an explosion-proof room, considerably adding to the setup costs.

Modern closed loop machines using butane are indeed highly safe. Nonetheless, each year tens of incidences of explosions and injuries caused by butane extraction machines are reported.

BHO vs CO2: Which Provides the Best Product

BHO extract is generally of higher quality, with better texture and aroma, and requires less post-processing. However, full-spectrum is not always required as it also means a more significant amount of impurities and residual solvent. Thus, CO2 extracts may have fewer terpenes, but it also has no toxic residual solvent. Thus, BHO may be good, but CO2 appears to be safer.

Further, it would be wrong to say that one cannot get full spectrum or broad-spectrum extract by using supercritical CO2. It is also a matter of expertise. To get various extracts, one can run the extract through multiple cycles, using different temperature and pressure settings. As far as terpenes are concerned, greater amounts of them may be extracted by adding ethyl alcohol as a solvent. Moreover, both CO2 and ethyl alcohol are absolutely safe.

How Essentia Pura Extract Hemp Medicinal Plants & More

For Essentia Pura focus is on the quality and safety of the products. Supercritical CO2 extraction using solvent helps get either CBD isolate or broad-spectrum CBD distillate. Both these products are free from impurities. Moreover, equipment like MoSES used by Essentia Pura is safe for the environment. Additionally, Essentia Pura produces both oil-soluble and water-soluble CBD isolate and distillate. As a result, Essentia Pura produces almost pharma-grade pure products for CBD businesses and consumers. 

Do you have any further questions about extracts? Send us an e-mail! For inquiries about our extraction system, please fill out our contact form.

Terpene Retention Through CO2 Extraction

Written by

Simon Šfiligoj

CBD Manufacturing

The information provided in our articles has undergone a thorough research process by a team of writers, editors, legal advisors, and medical experts to guarantee accuracy. Only reputable sources have been cited.

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Public interest in cannabis compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes continues to rise, as ongoing scientific research shows their therapeutic potential for a range of common neurophysiological conditions. These range from chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis and bursitis to mood disorders like depression and insomnia. But how can consumers ensure their terpene extracts are of high quality, particularly if they aren’t especially well-educated on cannabis compounds and their benefits?

Consumers looking to buy weed-extracted terps, CBD and other cannabis isolates with a mind on quality are best served to select products processed via CO2 extraction, rather than solvent or cold pressure extraction. This post goes over different kinds of CO2 extraction, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and Essentia Pura’s CO2 extraction method and system of choice.

Extracting Terpenes with CO2

As its name suggests, CO2 terpene extraction is done using carbon dioxide as the solvent. The carbon dioxide is dried and then condensed for use in the extraction process. This process can be used to extract terpenes, cannabinoids or even flavonoids from plants, leaves, flowers, roots, and bark. This is obviously much more efficient than most other extraction techniques, where plant matter is simply decarboxylated before making oil.

As of this writing, CO2 extraction is commonly used within the food, fragrance, cannabis, sports medicine and vaping industries. It has proven to be a game-changer in the utilization of medicinal plants and their inherent beneficial properties. The next section briefly explores the differences between different CO2 extraction methods.

Processes of CO2 Extraction

There are essentially two types of CO2 extraction: wet and dry. Each of these come with different costs, ranges of equipment and advantages.

• Wet CO2 extraction

  is cheaper, but it’s generally less environmentally friendly. The machine process for wet extraction basically works like a supercharged coffee machine, pushing CO2 through plant material with enough pressure for the CO2 to dissolve everything that’s soluble into the gas. This draws and isolates cannabinoids (e.g. THC, CBD) as well as other potentially beneficial components (e.g. terpenes, flavonoids) out of everything from cannabis to herbs and spices.

Wet CO2 extraction requires lower pressure (5-16 bar) to run smoothly; excessive pressure (>16 bar) can irreversibly damage lipids in the plant cell membranes to turn them into free fatty acids. This is obviously undesirable, as it can have a negative impact on terpene structure, cannabinoid potency and the overall quality of the final product.

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Too much pressure causes less desirable compounds to dissolve into the gas phase making it harder to remove, and giving the resulting solution a more pungent smell. On the other hand, if pressure is too low, not all desirable components may be properly extracted. Low pressure may even cause some degradation due to the lower temperature used for extraction, as higher temperature causes higher solubility.

• Wet extraction has been used for over 50 years to extract CBD from hemp plants, using a process called supercritical fluid extraction. During the 1980s, scientists discovered that exposing CBD-saturated solvent to extreme heat and pressure separated the compound into layers. This process beca me known as subcritical extraction.

• Dry CO2 extraction

  can be used for both solventless and solvent-based extractions, but the latter requires higher pressures and temperatures. Dry ice is placed in a closed container filled with product at atmospheric pressure, which causes carbon dioxide to evaporate from solid CO2 (dry ice) into gaseous CO2 (CO). The pressure difference forces liquid molecules through the plant material, extracting desirable oils and leaving behind undesirable solids such as chlorophylls, lipids, waxes and terpenoids.

The dry ice CO2 extraction method was pioneered by Dave Watson in 2007, but its use didn’t become widespread until 2010. The equipment required for this process consists of a closed system which is filled with liquid nitrogen and plant materials. Other than that, there are no special tools or equipment required.

Due to its low risk profile and cost efficiency, dry CO2 extraction is becoming more popular than wet methods for many industries, such as food processing plants where cleanliness is most important.

Do Terpenes Degrade in the Extraction Process

Compared to conventional solvent extraction, much less terpene degradation takes place in CO2 extraction. This is due to two primary factors: low process temperature, and the preservation of terpene structure due to pressurised CO2 passing through plant matter like gas, while simultaneously being able to dissolve desirable plant material like a liquid.

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Retaining Terpenes through CO2 Extraction

An added advantage of CO2 extraction that leads to increased terpene retention is the lack of a decarboxylation step in the process. The cold separation procedure further aids in protecting fragile plant compounds. For even greater terpene retention, shorter, lighter CO2 runs (i.e. subcritical extraction) can be utilised to afford maximum protection and selectivity between desirable plant components.

Finally, the use of CO2 produces the “cleanest” possible terpene extracts as of this writing, with next to no leftover residue whether from plant matter or solvents — many of which can harm the quality of the final product. This is true for the extraction of terpenes from everything from hemp to herbs and spices.

How Essentia Pura Extract Hemp Medicinal Plants & More

Essentia Pura prefers to use supercritical extraction (SCE) to extract cannabinoids from hemp and other medicinal plants, using Škrlj MoSES SCE systems. These systems are designed for bulk-scale, fully automated operations, and come with a number of advantages including:

1. High selectivity, extracting maximal yields of target compounds while simultaneously filtering out undesirable components like chlorophyll.
2. Utilisation of inert, non-toxic supercritical fluids for optimal extraction with no leftover residue carried over.
3. Closed CO2 loop, allowing for supercritical solvent recirculation without contamination and with minimal solvent loss.
4. Full software integration for efficient monitoring, management and date logging via connected computer systems.
5. A low temperature process, protecting desirable extracts from degradation or wastage.
6. User-friendly and high throughput system with multiple quickly opening closures.

Whether for the manufacture of cannabinoid, terpene, broad- or full-spectrum products, CO2 extractors stand as the superior choice in a burgeoning cannabis industry. Despite the high initial investment required for acquisition, the low risk profile, cost effectiveness and high selectivity of CO2 extractor machine processes make them a no-brainer for any cannabis company who can afford them.

To know more about our extraction system, send us an e-mail. For inquiries and quotes, complete our web form here.

Advanced CO2 extraction equipment

Written by

Simon Šfiligoj

CBD Manufacturing

The information provided in our articles has undergone a thorough research process by a team of writers, editors, legal advisors, and medical experts to guarantee accuracy. Only reputable sources have been cited.

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Humans have used various ways of extracting active compounds from herbs, like soaking them in water, alcohol, or oils. Further, many would heat the oil or boil the water to get more herbal compounds. However, these traditional extraction methods had numerous limitations. On the contrary, the CO2 supercritical process is a highly efficient way of extracting herbal bioactive compounds.

Each liquid has different physical properties and is only suitable for extracting certain types of extracts from specific herbs. Moreover, these traditional methods produced highly crude extract and thus often needed further complex processing. Even then, there was limited control over the extraction methods, meaning that large amounts of active or essential compounds were lost, and numerous unneeded impurities were introduced.

In modern times, these methods are still used, but by deploying complex equipment. Further, researchers discovered that using gases for extraction has some unique benefits. Modern technology allows liquifying the gases even at room temperatures. Moreover, by altering the pressure and temperature, the same gas would display different properties as a solvent. Thus, helping extract a broad spectrum of compounds. Using various pressures also allows extracting multiple extracts from the same herbal source.

Moreover, at the end of the extraction process, gas will readily escape when temperature and pressure are raised without leaving any residues (unlike liquid solvents) behind. Moreover, gases are also cleaner and lack impurities, whereas most liquid solvents would have some amounts of contaminants.

CO2 supercritical extraction is preferred among various gases, as it is safer and easier to handle than other gases. Further, it has some unique properties, making it an excellent solvent at specific temperatures and pressures.

Process of CO2 Extraction Overview

Supercritical CO2 extraction is the most common way of extracting cannabis extract or CBD and various other herbal extracts. CO2 is preferred over other gases due to its safety profile and ease of handling, but more importantly, it does not leave a residue. Thus, it is used to extract various bioactive compounds.

Supercritical is a unique state of matter. Everyone knows that most compounds may exist as liquid, solid, or gas, depending on the storage temperature and pressure. Thus, under pressure, gas may become liquid. Further, increasing the pressure and lowering the temperature may even covert gases to solids.

For creating supercritical fluids, one increases pressure without lowering the temperature much. Gas is pressurized at temperatures, where it would generally be in a gaseous state. However, high pressure forces it to achieve a state between gas and liquid (refer to Table 1). It reaches a cloud-like state. In this state, it is a highly penetrating solvent with extremely low viscosity and surface tension. Further, this supercritical mass of gas can be altered by changing pressure and temperature.

Studies show that CO2, a gas at room temperature, may be converted to supercritical mass at temperatures above 31.2 degrees Celsius and pressure above 7.3 MPa. However, the choice of temperature and pressure would differ for other gases.

Figure 1 supercritical CO2 (Image source: 1. Capuzzo A, Maffei ME, Occhipinti A. Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Plant Flavors and Fragrances. Molecules. 2013;18(6):7194-7238. doi:10.3390/molecules18067194)

Supercritical Carbon dioxide

Once this supercritical stage is reached, it may be further altered to control its physical and solvent properties. Thus, one may increase temperature or pressure or alter its flow rate. It means that by changing the pressure or even temperature, one may extract different bioactive compounds from the plants. Of course, these alterations can be done manually. However, many automated machines would allow doing this at the touch of a screen, thus allowing to extract a range of bioactive compounds from any given plant. Therefore, it may help manufacturers to create unique products in a short time.

Further, most of the modern and automated systems would be closed loop. It means that after the extraction process, CO2 is recycled and reused.

Can one use the same CO2 machine to extract bioactive compounds from different herbs? Yes, definitely, though one may need to know more about specific parameters like the pressure, temperature, and flow rate to use. Similarly, altering pressure may help control what fraction of any herb, including cannabis, one wants to extract. Thus, cannabinoid extractors may use various regimes to get terpenes, full-spectrum extract, and so on. So, as one can see that CO2 extraction provides lots of flexibility.

Adding solvents to extraction machines

Quite like any other solvent, CO2 also has its downsides. For example, some compounds are insoluble or poorly soluble in CO2. Thus, adding another solvent to these machines solves these problems helping to extract terpenoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, polyphenols, and other compounds.

Moreover, since most good equipment would allow changing pressure and temperature, thus it may help target and extract specific compounds.

List of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Extraction Equipment

CO2 extraction is not cheap in the short run, but it may readily help recover the cost of equipment in the long run due to its high efficiency and ability to produce quality extracts. Many manufacturers are making CO2 supercritical extraction machines, but few stand out. These are usually manufacturers from North Americas or Europe, where Industrial hemp extraction equipment is most needed.

The Boss 

It is good in a way that it is simple to install, set up. However, the company is more focused on high-volume machines. Thus, this machine can extract up to 200 pounds if used continually. Like many machines in its class, it is fully automated, controlled from a tablet or phone, and built for continuous use.

On the downside, it is relatively expensive and costs above 250k USD. It does not allow adding of solvents, which may have certain downsides and limitations. It is a Canadian company with US and Canadian certification. However, it may lack specific certifications needed to operate such types of machinery in the EU.

Cannabis SFE

It is a company focused mainly on the US market and has numerous machines for every need. Their machines are especially good for subcritical and supercritical extraction. However, they rarely provide the option of adding solvent for the extraction of specific bioactive compounds. Although these machines are highly versatile and can be adapted to various needs, they are generally regarded as overly complex. Even small extraction volume machines are quite complex for their category, meaning issues with maintenance. Despite pros like affordable cost and scalability, they remain complex systems, and these machines also operate at high pressures.

Apeks Supercritical – The Force

These are a state of art, powerful, fully automated machine from one of the US manufacturers. The machine is highly efficient, relatively easy to set up. However, it is primarily focused on large-scale manufacturers, and thus it may be pretty expensive for small to mid-manufacturers. The base model cost is about half a million USD, and other setup costs may be involved. Though it is an automated solution, it is for experienced professionals, as it still requires a high degree of expertise to operate. If the plans are big, this machine could be an option. However, for small to mid-cap companies, there are many other options, too.

SEF process

It has numerous models for supercritical extraction with various capacities. Some of these machines are made explicitly for cannabis extraction, like the SFE PROD 2X10L 400 BAR. The company has a high focus on producing machines for pharma and large-scale extract manufacturers. Its machines are made by keeping GMP standards in mind. However, as one can expect, these machines might be pricy and difficult to operate. Therefore, these machines are created by considering that the facility already has some machines and experience in handling complex systems.

MoSES 

Moses is produced in Europe and has all the European certifications. It belongs to the new class of machines called modular machines. Thus, MoSES stands for Modular Supercritical Extraction System. These machines are specifically made by keeping in mind the various requirements of the CBD industry.

Some of the features that make it stand out are:

• Modular design, and thus the ability to expand machines according to business needs.
• Fully automated control.
• Ability to extract various fractions in a single run.
• Faster extraction time, as it operates at increased pressure.
• Flexibility to add polar co-solvents for extracting phenols, terpenoids, and other compounds.

MoSES systems are equally suitable for small to large manufacturing needs, and these machines can be upgraded accordingly. Moreover, these machines are specifically produced for the European market, with all the needed approval. 

Further, these machines are also tested for extracting various extracts apart from CBD, providing greater flexibility to manufacturers.

Which CBD/Hemp Products can CO2 Extraction Produce?

CO2 supercritical extraction is generally accepted as one of the best ways of extracting “full-spectrum” hemp extract. The end product is a light-colored paste or resin rich in CBD/CBDA (60-70%). Along with other beneficial compounds like polyphenols, terpenes, and other minor cannabinoids. 

Generally, this full-spectrum extract is appreciated by CBD lovers due to its intense flavour and presence of entourage effect. 

However, it is vital to understand that one may extract different kinds of CBD extracts by tweaking temperature and pressure settings. Further, one may enrich the extract by adding various solvents. Thus, the quality of the final extract would depend on the specific machine parameters used, along with what solvent was used or wasn’t used. 

It means that though these machines are highly automated, they leave room for lots of experimentation so that any producer can come up with a unique end product. Although ethanol is the most commonly used solvent along with CO2 extraction, one may create quite a different end product by using other solvents. Similarly, extraction temperature and pressures have a significant influence on the end product.

One may use this extract for further processing and creating either CBD isolate or broad-spectrum CBD. Generally, this extract would still require to go through processing before making its way to the final product. Thus, winterization and filtration help remove fats, oils, and waxes. Other processes involved in getting CBD isolate are decarboxylation, distillation, and crystallization. 

Certifications to Look For

Needless to say, that it would depend on the location of the manufacturing facility, as requirements vary from place to place. Generally, European companies are pretty good at meeting local European and global requirements.

If someone is planning to install a unit in the EU zone, most machines for CO2 extraction should preferably include the EC declaration of conformity. Furthermore, it would include additional certificates for pressure tests, control procedure reports, material certificates, welding specifications, to name a few.

One may ask the manufacturer to provide component conformity, material conformity, leakage test, tank cleaning ability, and other reports as per the requirements.

Many high-quality machinery producers would also produce radiographic weld testing reports to ensure the quality of their products. In addition, the EU also requires pressure testing of the tank as mentioned in the EU Pressure Equipment Directive (PED 2014/68/EU).

For some manufacturers located in less regulated places, many of these certificates may not be needed. However, it is still good to ask for these certificates as the presence of these certificates helps confirm not only the quality of the product but also the presence of quality control measures.

It is vital to understand that though many products may appear to have similar specifications, some are produced using better safety standards. Certifications can only confirm these standards. Many of the mentioned certifications are given by third parties to the manufacturers.

Buying CO2 Extraction Equipment 

CBD extraction machine price always remains the prime concern. However, it is good to start by identifying the capacity of the machinery. Understand if a particular machine is made for small to mid-level or large-scale producers. The decision in this respect would be based on the buyer’s needs. Nonetheless, it is also good to know if its capacity is expandable or not, about automation, safety features, installation, and training. 

It is also good to look deeper into technical specifications regarding maximum pressure, temperature, and other features.

Also, pay particular attention to additional features like the possibility to use solvents along with CO2 usage. It is also vital to know how much CO2 is recycled. Pay attention to the power usage by the machine, as it is often neglected but may ultimately add to the bills.

Next, inquire about all the safety certifications that any equipment has. It is essential to ensure safe operation, reduce operational costs, and, more importantly, meet regulatory requirements.

Generally, it is a good idea to buy equipment from a company that is good at providing post-sales services. If needed, a company that can help expand production in the future, as having multiple machines from different manufacturers is rarely a good idea.

Additionally, one may inquire about specific needs for machine installing, kind of infrastructure needed, space, ventilation, environmental temperature.

Finally, try to figure out about its about maintenance issues with it, workflow with equipment. It is also good to know about labour requirements and any other expertise needed to run the machine.

If you would like to inquire about MoSES extraction system, use the contact form on our website. For any further questions about supercritical CO2 extraction reach out to us at info@essentiapura.com