How Statik extracts solvent-free cannabis oil from steam

Static electricity is a common subatomic force that is less commonly used in cannabis extraction. Traditionally there are charas and major upgrades to the ancient art of dry sifting. More recently, however, static electricity has been used to quickly extract cannabis oil from the vapor in a modern device. And while both techniques are solvent-free, one method immediately produces a decarboxylated oil fraction. But are vapor static extracts really more versatile than pure minds collection?

Recently, some have been using regular evaporation to extract cannabis flower or hemp biomass. One company stated that it bases its hot air extraction process on classic vaporizers – specifically the Volcano. Of course, the process is not without its unsightly problems. Two decades earlier, GW Pharmaceuticals had failed to extract cannabinoids using hot air. Instead, they resorted to CO2 and ethanol. In order for Boulder Creek Technologies to get results, static electricity was a huge factor.

A concentrate extracted with the Vapor Static machine. Do you think the amber hue is an indication of degradation or pure sugar-free crude?

What about CBN?

When heat is involved, so does the molecular change. Then heat changes the components of cannabis buds or hemp biomass. For example, CBN is an oxidation product of THC. That said, plants don’t actually produce THC; instead, nature produces THCa. Accordingly, a balancing act between temperature and time has to be made in order to convert THCa into THC (decarb) without causing oxidation instead. Oxygen breaks down THC even further into CBN.

The current system is patented and claims only intellectual property rights to CBD and hemp biomass instead of THC. Although data on THC vapor static extraction is in the works, it is not currently available. And unlike THC, hemp oil and CBD instead oxidize to CBC, CBL, or red quinones. However, oxygen can be withdrawn from the system to avoid this type of deterioration.

Static electricity props, a steam vehicle

Another key to avoiding the breakdown and formation of unwanted compounds when heating cannabinoid acids is efficient timing. In addition, device manufacturers can avoid high temperature processes. Against intuition, Boulder Creek Technologies overcame the problem of time and boldly decided to work with heat. Static electricity, used in clever dryer screen techniques, was their choice to draw the steam into the condenser tubes fast enough to avoid oxidation.

Contrary to some beliefs regarding dry sifting, however, static electricity is not Attracting or ingesting cannabinoids. This is because trichome heads hold a negative charge and adhere to surfaces that accept electrons, such as nitrile gloves. In a vapor static system, the electromagnetic field creates a subatomic current that traps the vapor and instead quickly transports it through the chambers within the extraction machine.

An electrostatic precipitator creates a laminar flow regime that acts more like a vehicle than a magnet. Before entering the separator, however, the vapor is separated off in a cyclone and then washed wet.

A machine for static steam extraction. Photo by Boulder Creek Technologies.

A vapor or an aerosol?

Amara Hazelwood of Boulder Creek Technologies says vapor static systems convert cannabinoids into a gas phase in near-normal atmospheres; the system is designed to vaporize phyto-compounds without breaking down THC or burning the original material.

In a normal vaporizer, THCa decarboxylates and turns into liquid microdroplets (an aerosol) of THC. Essentially, cannabinoids vaporize at too high a temperature and therefore remain in a liquid phase in a vape. In fact, the true boiling point of THC cannot be determined beyond mathematical estimates. This is because cannabinoids break down and break down below their boiling point at sea level.

The Vapor Static system works in a very light vacuum – close to atmospheric conditions. This vacuum is nowhere near what you would expect from a distillation system.

Arama Hazelwood, chemical engineer at Boulder Creek Technologies.

Metal cannabinoid salts can also arise from an ionic reaction when vaporizing cannabis oil, but mostly due to faulty vaporizer components. (2) Unfortunately, however, these salts simply show up as normal cannabinoids in common laboratory tests. However, according to Boulder Creek, the hot air extractor is supposedly free of heavy metals.

A winterized short-path distillate of Vapor Static extracted cannabis oil from Boulder Creek Technologies.

A rough choice for solvent-free

Thin-film or short-path distillations are often chosen for cleaning raw cannabis and hemp oil. Hot air extracted oils are no exception. The end product is said to be good for smoking and vaping. However, the advertisement for solvent-free crude oil is for post-processing through distillation. For example, gear pumps help separate and push oil fractions through thin film setups, and these pumps work well with a sugar-free oil.

Cover photo by Fir0002 | Flagstaffotos courtesy of Wikimedia.

sources

1. US10.974.164
2. McDaniel, C., Mallampati, SR, & Wise, A. (2021). Metals in Cannabis Vaporizer Aerosols: Sources, Possible Mechanisms, and Exposure Profiles. Chemical research in toxicology, 34 (11), 2331-2342. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00230
3. Bill W. Lee, David E. Orr. The TriboElectric series. AlphaInc. laboratory