Ultrasonic Extraction

Cannabis products have been consumed in various forms for thousands of years, and since Dr. O’Shaughnessy introduced cannabis and its therapeutical properties to the Western medical community many a lot has changed, but the plant remained the same. Over the past few years, however, cannabis usage has grown in popularity due to the legalization process that has recently been taking place in several countries.

ultrasonic Cannabis Extraction

Ultrasonic extraction is proven simple, reliable, and to shorten the extraction time. The ultrasound-assisted extraction is based on repeating high pressure and low pressure cycles. With the power of ultrasound, cannabis extraction gets more balanced among the extracted molecules, with a strong focus on terpenes. Ultrasonic extraction of Cannabinoids and Terpenes sonication applies intense shear forces to the plant material and releases molecules in a very short extraction time. It’s interesting to note that ultrasonic extraction can be performed with a broad variety of solvents. Depending on the final product, active substances from cannabis are extracted in butane, CO2, propane, etc, when the extracts are utilized for inhalation. For the preparation of extracts for oral ingestion, ethanol, cyclohexane, isopropanol, olive oil, coconut oil are preferred as solvents.
These alternating high pressure and low pressure cycles of 20,000 times per second of sonication create intense shear forces and liquid jets. This extreme stress overcomes the selectivity of membrane, perforates and breaks the cell wall, and results in a high mass transfer between the inner cell and the surrounding solvent. By adjusting amplitude, duration, pressure and liquid composition, the output of the extraction process can be precisely controlled and reproduced.

benefits of Ultrasonic Extraction

Sonication, a term which refers to the use of ultrasonic waves, has become increasingly popular since its release. It comes as no surprise to industry veterans, who know that most commonly practiced extraction techniques come with unavoidable problems. The benefits of sonication easily beat out the competition, and often with much less investment.

Ultrasonic extraction has a number of benefits, for a producer’s bottom line as well as the quality of the final product. For one, sonication is a much more environmentally friendly extraction method that does not rely on harsh solvents to extract the cannabinoid. Another main reason for the rise of ultrasonic extraction is that the entire process takes a matter of minutes to complete. Other methods take hours, sometimes days to deliver a final product. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it is much more economical than other mechanisms.

The mechanism is widely adaptable to many different applications, from commercial to industrial, to medicinal products. The ultrasonic extractor can be used with many different solvents. Depending on what the final product requires, an ultrasonic extraction method can work with a variety of substances such as ethanol, CO2, H2O, olive oil, coconut oil, and many others.

Importantly, for producers who care about preserving the integrity and concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes, ultrasonic extractors do not rely on heat. Extraction methods which rely on high heat quickly destroy the sensitive cannabinoid content, which subsequently destroys much of the whole-plant medicinal benefit. Many suppliers advertise the fact that these extraction methods are extremely low thermal and do not require temperatures to go above 60 degrees Celsius.

proposed methodology for a Solventless Extract

  1. using a azote chilled mixer, grind the material thoroughly just prior to sonication, and place the contents in a reactor.
  2. cool down the reactor to 0° C
  3. add the liquid base. 3 parts of eliquid base to 1 part plant material; Cannabis plants very rich in Cannabinoids and Terpenes is recommended. This ratios can also be adjusted based on the consistency of the liquid.
  4. start the agitation process
  5. immerse the probe halfway through the material and sonicate for 5 minutes at 50% amplitude
  6. make sure that the temperature of the material being processed is maintained between 10° and 25°C
  7. filter the solution with a Büchner filter

looking further

The sonication emulsion process can be combined with many other extraction methods to create even higher concentrations. Unlike other less-advanced processes, the ultrasonic method is remarkably reproducible. All the parameters can be meticulously set, and then easily replicated.

Building off the already high-quality products produced through ultrasonic extraction, producers can combine with other methods to improve the final cannabinoid potency. For example, liposomal technology is often combined with sonication in order to increase the bioavailability of the final product.

Liposomal technology takes substances, like CBD which are naturally hydroponic, and transforms them into water-soluble substances. Liposomes are essentially tiny messengers working within the human body, and by encapsulating cannabinoids within this process, producers can develop a powerful therapeutic agent.