As technology advances, extraction facilities strive to constantly find innovative ways to create the best product possible. Extraction science continues to evolve and today many popular processes use solvents such as ethanol that wash over the cannabis dissolving the terpenes and cannabinoids.
Considered predominantly a polar solvent due to its oxygen containing group, ethanol actually can extract both polar and non-polar components in the plant. The ethyl group (two carbons, five hydrogens, C2H5) is the non-polar part of an ethanol molecule, enabling the solvation of like substances. This means that compounds such as chlorophyll are concomitantly extracted with the terpenes and cannabinoids. The end result is not as potent as other methods, but those who favor ethanol prefer it because it can remove the requirement of winterization or dewaxing. Ethanol extraction is an excellent option for full spectrum cannabis products.
Eden Labs has developed a proprietary extraction/distillation device known as Coldfinger™. The company has over 20 years of experience extracting the oil from plants for herbal remedies. Eden Labs was founded in 1994 by Fritz Chess and was one of the first to focus on making the botanical extraction process safe and efficient.
Coldfinger extraction/distillation is a cutting-edge process that uses an inverted condenser placed above a basket of cannabis that hangs over a container of solvents. Applying heat or vacuum vaporizes the solution. The solvent, in turn, condenses into a liquid and filters through the basket of cannabis, extracting the active ingredients while the vapors permeate the biomass.
Eden Labs points to lab test results that showed that extractions using the Coldfinger™ enabled the capture of unique compounds not found in the extractables obtained from other processes.The hypothesis is that these constituents may be left in the biomass or destroyed with some other methods.
Coldfinger™ allows extractors to steam distill compounds like oils and monoterpenes from the plant before the extraction process all while using one basket, thus providing a comprehensive solution within one piece of equipment.
As the industry evolves, extraction methods will continue their evolution to higher efficiencies.With higher yields than some traditional methods, the Coldfinger™ system is a one of the latest technologies for extraction facilities.
