CO2 Extraction - Methods & Devices

Used to Create Cannabis Concentrates

Oregon Fire Marshals Association
2016 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)
55% 52%
56%

Hydrocarbon C02
58% 43%
33%
Concentrate/Edible Product Types
Manufacturing Cannabis Extracts
Extraction Post Processing Packaging

Hydrocarbon C02
Step 1 – Raw oil extraction
Subcritical CO2
• Low Temp
• Low Pressure
• Slower extraction
• Terpene preservation
Supercritical CO2
• High Temp C02
• High Pressure
• Faster Extraction
• More wax
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 - Winterization Pros
Supplies needed • Increases Potency
• Rotary Evaporator • Works better in vape
pen
• Freezer • Thins the oil
• Ethanol • Removes Water
• Vacuum Flask
• Filter Paper
Cons
• Loss of Flavor
• Buchner Funnel • 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
Fully Automated PLC
Extraction Vessels
CO2
Cylinders

Chiller/heater

Diaphragm
Compressor
Separation Vessels

Collection
Cup
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)
4 Step Process
• Filling
• Pressurizing
• Extracting
• Recovery
Hydrocarbon C02
How does CO2 extraction work?
Water (Bubble Hash)
4 Step Process
• Filling
• Pressurizing
• Extracting
• Recovery
Hydrocarbon C02
How does CO2 extraction work?

4 Step Process
• Filling
• Pressurizing
• Extracting
• Recovery
C02
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