CO2 Extraction - Methods & Devices Used to Create Cannabis Concentrates

Oregon Fire Marshals Association2016 Technical Education Conference

Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training

Salem, Oregon

October 18-19, 2016

Andy Joseph - Background

90-96 – US Navy, Nuclear Submarine Mechanic

96-01 – Ohio State University, Bachelors and Masters, Welding Engineering

01-12 – Edison Welding Institute, Director of Welding and Testing Business Units

01-present – Apeks Supercritical, President, janitor, welder, assembly tech…

Apeks Supercritical - History

• Founded in 2001 manufacturing botanical oil extraction systems– Headquartered in Johnstown, Ohio

– Originally designed for natural products, flavorings, essential oils

• 2009(ish) - Medical Marijuana industry discovered Apeks

• 2012 - Introduced Patented Valveless Expansion Technology

• 2013 - 90% of customers in marijuana industry

• 2014 - Opened Denver, CO facility for Sales and Service

• 2015 - Moved to new manufacturing facility in Johnstown Ohio Industrial Park

Apeks Supercritical Expertise and Awards• 29 employees

– 6 US military veterans

– 7 degreed engineers, 2 with advanced degrees • Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgical, Welding, Food Science

• Backgrounds such as: – ASME pressure vessel manufacturing

– Honda Automotive Production Controls and Automation

– American Welding Society D1 and A5 Code Committees

• Awards– Columbus Business First – Fast 50, 3 years in a row, top 10

– INC 500 – 24th Fastest growing private company in US, 2015 (#236 – ’16)

– 2016 Edison Awards – Bronze winner

– 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year – Ohio Valley Region winner

Apeks Supercritical – Manufacturing Facility

• Purpose built 17,000 sq ft manufacturing facility

Apeks Supercritical – 400+ systems

• Over 400 installations in more than 23 states!

Concentrate/Edible Market Trends

Water (Bubble Hash)

C02Hydrocarbon

56%

33%

55% 52%

58% 43%

Concentrate/Edible Product Types

Manufacturing Cannabis Extracts

C02Hydrocarbon

Extraction Post Processing Packaging

Step 1 – Raw oil extractionSubcritical CO2

• Low Temp

• Low Pressure

• Slower extraction

• Terpene preservation

Supercritical CO2

• High Temp

• High Pressure

• Faster Extraction

• More wax

C02

Step 2 – Post Processing• Post processing after extraction is required for nearly

every product type:

• Vape Pens • Plant fats and waxes typically separated

• Dilution to reduce viscosity is typical

• Dabbing products – shatter, crumble, honeycomb, wax• Usually done with vacuum oven

• Edibles and Infused Products• Emerging area with huge potential

• Capsules, transdermal patches, tinctures

Step 2 - WinterizationSupplies needed• Rotary Evaporator• Freezer• Ethanol• Vacuum Flask• Filter Paper• Buchner Funnel

Pros• Increases Potency• Works better in vape

pen• Thins the oil• Removes Water

Cons• Loss of Flavor• Use of Solvents

C02

Possible Step 3• May also see a tertiary process

• “The Clear”– Fractional distillation

– Molecular Separation

– Thin film/Wiped film distillation

– Molecular Seive

– Short path distillation

Extraction Fundamentals• Extractions are used to separate oils/waxes from

plant materials

• Sometimes referred to as “concentrates”

• 2 basic types – Mechanical and Solvent

• Mechanical (concentrates per OLCC):– Dry Seive (Kief), Ice water hash, bubble bags

• Solvent (extracts per OLCC):– Common: CO2, Butane/Propane, Alcohol/Ethanol

– Not as common: Hexane, Naptha, Refrigerant gas (R134)

Extraction Fundamentals• All methods are capable of performing extractions. None are

“better” than the rest – just Pros and Cons• Mechanical – Keif, Bubble Hash

• Pros – cheap, low tech• Cons – low yields, labor intensive

• Solvent – Butter, Olive or Coconut Oil• Pros – simple, uses standard kitchenware• Cons – difficult to scale, can’t separate extract from solvent

• Solvent – Ethanol and Hydrocarbons (butane, propane)• Pros – low equipment cost, high yields, faster extraction times• Cons – high facility cost, explosive, chlorophyll, bad perception

• Solvent – CO2• Pros – pure extraction, no residual solvent, selectivity• Cons – high equipment cost, slower extraction times

CO2 System Components

Extraction Vessels

Chiller/heater

Fully Automated PLC

Separation Vessels

Collection Cup

Diaphragm Compressor

CO2 Cylinders

Basics of CO2 extraction• CO2 in liquid or

supercritical state behaves like a solvent

• Subcritical = liquid

• Low press, low temp

• Supercritical = combo properties of gas and liquid

• High press, high temp

How does CO2 extraction work?

Water (Bubble Hash)

C02Hydrocarbon

4 Step Process

• Filling• Pressurizing

• Extracting

• Recovery

How does CO2 extraction work?

Water (Bubble Hash)

C02Hydrocarbon

Water (Bubble Hash)

C02Hydrocarbon

4 Step Process

• Filling

• Pressurizing• Extracting

• Recovery

How does CO2 extraction work?

C02C02

4 Step Process

• Filling

• Pressurizing

• Extracting• Recovery

How does CO2 extraction work?

4 Step Process

• Filling

• Pressurizing

• Extracting

• Recovery

Safety for CO2 Extraction Systems• CO2 is non flammable – no explosion risk

• Eliminates need for evacuation system, room, hood, etc

• Building code requires ventillation

• Minimal facility requirements• CO2 monitoring/alarm

• Placarding – “oxygen deficient environment”

• Venting of relief points to outside

• Safe storage/handing of compressed gas cylinders

Safety for CO2 Extraction Systems• CO2 does operate at high pressures

• Apeks employs 4 levels of safety protection

• Proper design per ASME, NFPA and IFC

• Electrical control system

• Backup mechanical pressure relief valves

• Operator training

ASME Pressure Vessel Design

• ASME allows an exclusion for marking of pressure vessels• Less than 6” in diameter

• No limit on length or pressure

• Generally, ASME manufacturers will only mark if customer or governing body requires it due to additional costs

• OLCC does not specify marked vessels• …built to codes of recognized and generally accepted good engineering

standards, such as those of:• (i) American National Standards Institute (ANSI);

• (ii) Underwriters Laboratories (UL); or

• (iii) The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

• Engineering Peer review covers pressure ratings in detail!

ASME Pressure Vessels

• 2 methods to determine pressure rating• Calculations

• Burst Testing

• Burst testing showed failure point is always gasket seals – no rupture, shrapnel, etc

• Nothing goes “boom”

UL Listed – 508A

• Standard for Industrial Control Panels

• Requires assessment and surprise audits

• Peer review does not undergo thorough assessment of electrical components

• UL recommended by OLCC

• Note: UL Listing of equipment is not as comprehensive as EPR/UL 508A combination

Mechanical Relief Valves

• Provided in the event of a power failure or component malfunction

• Protects pressure containing portions of the system

• Non-isolable

• ASME requires setting at 10% above working pressure

Other CO2 Extraction Systems• Repurposed analytical testing

instruments– Wide parameter control for R&D– Struggles with production output

demands– Generally operate at high pressures

and temps

Other CO2 Extraction Systems• Manually operated systems

– Simple, no electrical controls

– Not easy to use. Skilled operator must monitor continuously

– Operator key element of safety

Other CO2 Extraction Systems• New Entries

– Nearly half of CO2 extraction equipment suppliers are less than 2 years old or have no cannabis experience

– Generally lack certifications, engineering documentation, support

Other Types of CO2 Extraction Systems

• Foreign manufacturers

– Generally well built systems

– Long lead times and lack of support in US

Other Types of CO2 Extraction Systems

• Value priced systems

– Low priced

– Questionable understanding of the process

Opportunities in OLCC regs…

• Definitions:• …A chemical extraction process using the hydrocarbon-

based solvent carbon dioxide, if the process uses high heat or pressure.• Unlikely to see extraction process for botanicals operating

above 180F• CO2 is not a hydrocarbon

• …If using carbon dioxide in processing, use a professional grade closed loop carbon dioxide gas extraction system where every vessel is rated to a minimum of six hundred pounds per square inch. • More appropriate to refer to ASME

Thank You

andyj@apekssupercritical.com

740-809-1160

www.apekssupercritical.com