WHY WE USE CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACTION

WHAT IS CO2 EXTRACTION?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is often used as a solvent for extracting organic compounds from plant matter in a process known as supercritical CO2 extraction. While calling it the "best" solvent is subjective and depends on the specific extraction goals and requirements, CO2 extraction does offer several advantages that make it a popular choice in the hemp industry. We believe we are the first to use it to extract circuminoids from turmeric at scale using supercrictical extraction. Here are some reasons why CO2 is commonly used as a solvent:

Image of an industrial supercritical carbon dioxide extraction plant

Carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction, also known as supercritical fluid extraction, is a method used to extract essential oils, flavors, and other compounds from various plants and herbs. In this process, carbon dioxide is pressurized until it reaches a supercritical state, meaning it exhibits properties of both a liquid and a gas. In this state, CO2 can efficiently extract desired compounds from the plant material.

Preparing the plant: The plant mass is chopped and prepared before extraction, ensuring a uniform particle size helps achieve to consistent extraction results.
Loading the extraction vessel: The prepared plant matter is placed in an extraction vessel designed to withstand high pressures.
Supercritical extraction: CO2 is pumped into the extraction vessel, where it interacts with the turmeric at high pressure and low temperature, extracting the desired compounds, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, curcuminoids, volatile oils, and other phytochemicals.
Separation: After extraction, the CO2 and the extracted compounds are separated. This is typically done by reducing the pressure, which allows the CO2 to return to its gaseous state, leaving behind the extracted turmeric compounds.
Collection and refining: The extracted compounds are collected and further refined to obtain the final product, such as turmeric essential oil or turmeric extract with a specific concentration of curcuminoids.

Advantages of CO2 Extraction

Non-Toxic and Safe: CO2 is a naturally occurring gas that is generally regarded as safe by regulatory authorities. It is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not leave harmful residues in the final hemp extract, making it a safer choice compared with other chemical solvents.
Selective Extraction: The solvency power of CO2 can be adjusted by modifying temperature and pressure. This allows for selective extraction of specific compounds. When working with the cannabis plant, we can extract specific cannabinoids and terpenes and other desirable compounds, while leaving unwanted components behind. With turmeric, we can achieve yields and purity which just cannot be obtained using other solvents.
Environmental Friendliness: CO2 is a green solvent, meaning it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or environmental pollution when used in a closed-loop extraction system. It is recycled and reused, making it an eco-friendly choice for organic compound extraction.
Versatility: CO2 extraction is versatile and can be used for both small-scale and large-scale production. It can be fine-tuned to extract various types of products, including oils, waxes, and shatters.
Mild Extraction Conditions: CO2 extraction is typically carried out at lower temperatures, which helps preserve the heat-sensitive compounds in the plants, particularly the terpenes, which are very heat sensitive.
Consistency: CO2 extraction allows for accurate control over the extraction process, leading to consistent results in terms of cannabinoid, circuminoid and terpene profiles from different batches of plants.

HOW DO WE USE THE EXTRACT?

The product form Supercritical CO2 extraction is is a highly concentrated paste, which must then be diluted to a formula. Cannabinoids, teprenes and circuminoids are all fat soluble. In order to maximise the bioavailabilty of the vital organic compounds we extract, we dilute them in C8 Capryllic Acid MCT oil. Look out for our nex tblog, which will discuss the benefits of using this premium phamraceutical grade oil as our carrier.

Image of supercritical extracted CO2 paste

WHY WE USE CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACTION

WHAT IS CO2 EXTRACTION?

Advantages of CO2 Extraction

HOW DO WE USE THE EXTRACT?

Check out our CO2 Extracted Products

Turmeric Oil

Hemp Extract

Terpenes

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