Closed-loop extraction is an advanced way to create different kinds of cannabis extracts such as isolates, live resin, and shatter. It happens within a closed system, keeping the solvent from being exposed to the outside atmosphere. A LeDab closed loop extractor provides benefits that are not available with other extraction methods. Keep reading to learn more about closed-loop extraction:
How Closed-Loop Extraction Works
Closed-loop extraction makes use of solvents for extracting cannabinoids. In this system, the solvent moves from a tank into a washing area. It recycles the solvent, washing over the cannabis repeatedly. The washing will dissolve the terpenes and cannabinoids from the plant material. Then, the concentrate is refined and collected.
Closed-loop extractors use hydrocarbons such as butane as solvents for extracting cannabinoids. Butane is a non-polar hydrocarbon that has a low boiling point, which allows the residual solvent to be cold-boiled and preserves terpenes.
Also, extractors can use propane as a solvent. Due to the low boiling temperature of propane, it can be purged easily. But propane tends to be expensive, so an extractor could work on a blend of propane and butane. This combination creates a gas mixture that eliminates extra terpenes and purges more effectively than butane alone.
During the extraction process, the solvent is evaporated away from the purging, leaving just the cannabis’s targeted component. This is performed under pressure within a sealed system that allows for maximum solvent recovery.
The resulting extract is known as Butane Hash Oil, which is used for making a variety of products like oil, shatter, distillate, budder, wax, and others. A closed-loop system is ideal for the precision temperature needs of exotic extracts such as live resin that tends to involve frozen-fresh plan material. The system is composed of a solvent tank, a recovery tank, an attached tube, recovery and refrigerant pumps, a vacuum oven, as well as a refrigerant scale.
Benefits of Closed-Loop Extraction
The cannabis industry is embracing this close-loop extraction because of the following benefits it offers:
- Safety. Hydrocarbon solvents are pressurised, flammable gases. In a closed-loop system, leaks do not occur as long as the machine is properly maintained and operated.
- Efficiency. Closed-loop extraction features a high-pressure capacity, which allows for maximum cannabinoid extraction. Also, a closed-loop system regulates temperature, which has direct control over the solubility of cannabinoids. It prevents solvent evaporation into the atmosphere and allows it to be used several times without the need for a recharge.
- High-quality product. Closed-loop systems offer great control over temperature and pressure, making it possible to produce extremely pure cannabis concentrates.
