What Is Hydrocarbon Extraction?
With the rapid growth of the cannabis production industry and the increased demand for concentrates, manufacturers are utilizing various extraction methods. One of the most utilized and popular extraction methods is hydrocarbon. But what is hydrocarbon extraction exactly?
Read on as we explore the definition, process, and benefits of the hydrocarbon extraction method.
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What Is Hydrocarbon Extraction?
Hydrocarbon extraction is a method through which manufacturers extract cannabinoids (THC and CBD) and terpenes from the cannabis plant. But is hydrocarbon the same as CO2 extraction?
The answer is no because while both methods use solvents, they are different ones. The CO2 extraction method utilizes CO2 to extract, while hydrocarbon extraction uses hydrocarbons like butane, propane or a combination of both.
The hydrocarbons, either propane or butane, act as solvents during the extraction process and help strip the wanted compounds from the plant material. The byproducts from the extraction are made into various concentrates. These concentrates infuse pre-rolls, which have become highly sought-after products.
Thanks to automated solutions, dispensaries can produce larger quantities. For instance, our Jiko robot, the best infusing machine on the market, can infuse approximately 1,200 pre-rolls per hour.
Is hydrocarbon extraction safe?
Hydrocarbons might be considered the safest option when used as extraction solvents. In fact, the food-processing industry has been safely using hydrocarbons for over fifty years.
The only concern when using gaseous solvents (butane and propane) is their flammability. However, with technological advancements, this might not be a great concern unless a person decides to attempt production at home.
What is the process of hydrocarbon extraction: Step-by-step guide
1. Selection of material
Hydrocarbon extraction begins with purchasing the plant matter from which you want to make an extract. The quality of the plant material will heavily influence the quality of the extract. This is why it is critical to source high-quality plant matter and keep it in an environment free of light and fluctuating temperatures that can promote degradation.
2. Loading cannabis into the extraction vessel
After selecting the plant material, you need to load it into a mesh bag, or some manufacturers load it into a basket. The mesh bag or the basket containing the plant material you load in the extraction chamber. Once the high-quality plant material is in the extraction chamber, you can start the extraction procedure.
3. Adding the hydrocarbon solvent
To begin, you flush the hydrocarbon into the solvent tank and through the pressurized main chamber of a multi-chamber extractor. Once in the main chamber, the hydrocarbon solvent passes over the plant material and extracts the wanted compounds (CBD, THC, or terpenes).
This practice is generally known as "washing". Following the washing process, you may either collect the extract immediately or further process it using various methods. The decision to continue refining the solution will be based on the required purity and composition of the final product.
4. Recovery
After washing and possibly purifying the solution further, it will enter the collection pot. The vessel will heat up to passively force any remaining hydrocarbon solvent again into the solvent tank, which is stored at a lower temperature. The closed-loop operation is finished when the hydrocarbon flows to the solvent tank.
5. Purging
To reach the required purity level, you may repeat the process until the bulk of the hydrocarbon solvent is eliminated from the solution. Depending on the final result, there are several refinement methods.
For instance, winterization removes lipids from the concentrates, while centrifugation separates terpenes. Dewaxing is another standard refinement method for removing lipids, and decarboxylation is purging the concentrate via heat.
Benefits of Hydrocarbon Extraction
Efficiency
Hydrocarbons have low boiling temperatures, which contributes greatly to their excellent extraction efficiency. They can operate at low temperatures, and their cycle time is around 60 minutes.
Moreover, hydrocarbons are easily condenseable. This makes hydrocarbon extraction highly efficient in producing larger quantities of material in a short period.
Purity
Hydrocarbon extraction is a popular method due to its purity and high quality. Hydrocarbon solvents filter out different compounds, such as butane, propane, or a combination.
During the hydrocarbon extraction process, you target harmful contaminants while keeping the wanted compounds. Some of the contaminants removed during the hydrocarbon extraction include the following:
Chlorophyll
Heavy metals
Pesticides
Lipids
Oxides
Versatility
Hydrocarbon extraction produces a purer extract but can also produce various extract types. This versatility is due to the ability to tweak the levels of hydrocarbon solvent to create the desired product. Some of the different extract types you may produce via hydrocarbon extraction include the following:
Shatter
Distillate
Badder
Live resin
Live rosin
Sauce
Oil
Wax
You may infuse all of these extracts in various products, including pre-rolls, cartridges, edibles, etc. Plus, with automated solutions like our infusion robots, you may infuse large quantities in record times to streamline production.
Flavor
Another benefit of the hydrocarbon extraction process is the preservation of the terpene profile. This means the flavor and aroma remain unchanged in the resulting extract. In contrast, other solvent extraction methods can strip the plant material of unwanted components, terpenes and flavonoids.
Potency
While the potency will vary, it is essential to mention that hydrocarbon extracts are much more potent than extracts produced with other methods. In fact, there are extracts available with THC concentrations as high as 80%.
On the other hand, traditional cannabis has a THC concentration of around 10% to 25%. So, hydrocarbon extraction produces higher potencies.
Hydrocarbon Extraction vs. Other Methods
CO2 extraction
When it comes to yield, hydrocarbon extraction ensures less waste of desired cannabinoids. For example, in hydrocarbon extraction using butane as a solvent, you may yield from 14% to 30% by weight.
In comparison, the CO2 extraction yield by weight is only around 8%. This means a lot of plant material is wasted.
Ethanol extraction
Ethanol extraction, compared to hydrocarbon extraction, may damage the cannabis plant's flavor and aroma profile as it strips them during the extraction process. This means you will need to use artificial flavors and scents to mask the damaged flavor.
However, hydrocarbon extraction has minimal impact, if at all, on the final product. It preserves the flavor and aroma profile of the plant material.
Another downside of ethanol extraction is the limitation in product variations, while hydrocarbon allows for the production of various product types. Hydrocarbon extraction might be safer, more efficient, and cost-effective than ethanol extraction.
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Rosin pressing
This solventless extraction method might produce high-quality concentrates. Yet, it has a major downside. Solventless extraction is mainly suitable for producing small batches, as the process cannot be automated.
Also, solventless extraction might increase the risk of unwanted components like mold. This is why hydrocarbon extraction is considered the best method to extract large quantities of highly potent and quality concentrates.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we explained what is hydrocarbon extraction. As mentioned, it allows you to extract cannabinoids (THC and CBD) and terpenes from the cannabis plant.
The benefits of the extraction method are that it is a high-quality and potent concentrate that can take various forms. With the hydrocarbon extraction method, you get streamlined and highly efficient production.
