Frequently asked questions about Apeks CO2 extraction systems.
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Apeks Supercritical closed loop extractor systems.
There are a lot of claims about extraction efficiency in the marketplace today that can make it hard for the consumer to get a clear answer to this question.
• Extraction efficiency is a function of pressure, temperature, flow rate, time and material preparation. For an accurate assessment of extraction time, be sure to compare apples to apples – i.e., what is the flow rate of CO2 at pressure X and temperature Y, and how long is the system running at those parameters.
• Decarboxylated (baked) material will extract faster than non-decarbed material.
• To compare us to the competition: the flowrate of CO2 on our Production systems is 2.3-6.1 L/min. Supercritical extraction times to accomplish a 90% complete extraction for decarboxylated cannabis is 4 pounds/hour, and 2 pounds/hour for non-decarbed material. Subcritical extraction rates are roughly 2-3 times longer.
Our machine allows customers to put a wall between the separator and extractor if they need to put one in based on their needs. The FDA has guidelines for GMP compliance, but the FDA isn’t involved in the cannabis industry because they are a federal agency. Ultimately, the level of separation required in their facility depends on where they are and who will be performing inspections that allow them to operate. Customers should check with the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) about their local requirements.
It is a good idea to separate the raw material side of the machine from the finished extract side of the machine to prevent the dust in and around the extractor vessels from mixing with the extracted oil.
FDA GMP guidelines for food can be seen here. Pharmaceutical GMP is different, and more restrictive than food. Customers will have to find out to what level of GMP they need to design by contacting their AHJ.
Yes, we offer a platform called The Fleet where you can link up to three high output systems (The Duplex or The Force), allowing you to process up to 600lbs/day!
Yes! Apeks Supercritical systems use a simple separation technique called fractional extraction that takes full advantage of the varying solvency power of CO2 at different pressures and temperatures. Unlike competitive systems that utilize complex multi-vessel fractional separation methods, our systems can perform fractional extractions through both subcritical and supercritical extraction modes. This allows for selective extraction of the lighter molecules in the subcritical mode, and the heavier fractions in supercritical mode.
Competitive systems that employ complex fractional separation require high heat to be applied to the separator vessels in order to get fractions at multiple pressures causing loss of terpenes and thermal degradation. Our easy-to-use fractional extraction method allows our systems to maintain a cold separator during all stages of the extraction. This preserves volatile oils and terpenes, while producing a very light-colored oil, regardless of the extraction system parameters.
It depends. (Keep in mind that most fractions are not 100% – there is always some mixing of the different fractions.) In competitive systems that utilize fractional separation, a large portion of the yield is dark green due to the aggressive extraction parameters they use. In order to utilize the entire plant, the green fraction will have to be secondarily processed as well. Most customers don’t like the limited yield of “the good stuff” and just mix the 3 fractions back together and secondarily process anyway.
Pumping gas works best for lower operating pressures in the separation vessels which allows the separator temperature to be much lower. Exposing the extracted oils to high temperatures can cause thermal degradation and a loss of volatile oils and terpenes. The Apeks Diaphragm Compressor Technology utilizes a gas pump which allows for cold separation to preserve the oils. The extracted oil never sees a temperature higher than the extraction temperature. Competitive systems use water or electric band heaters at 150F or higher and heat the oil.
Liquid pumps are better suited for higher-pressure. That’s why we designed our Dual-Phase Pumping System for the Apeks 5000psi systems — to utilize the advantages of both gas and liquid pumping.
CO2 is a unique solvent because its solvency power can change by simply adjusting the temperature and pressure during the extraction. When the pressure and temperature of the CO2 are above 1083psi AND 88F, the CO2 is considered supercritical. If the temperature is dropped below 88F the CO2 changes to a liquid and referred to as subcritical.
Supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) extraction is a strong solvent and can extract all of the lighter (volatile oils, light waxes) and heavier molecular weights (heavy waxes, lipids, fats, paraffin) to produce very large yields. At very high temperatures (above 120F) and pressures (5000psi) it will extract chlorophyll as well. Subcritical CO2 is a weaker solvent and generally pulls out just the lower molecular weights, and has correspondingly lower yields and higher extraction times.
Our fully automated, “lights-out automation” systems significantly reduce the amount of time required to learn how to operate the system, as well as improve the consistency of the output from the system regardless of who the operator is. Manually operated systems require an operator to have a deep understanding of the complexities of the system, not just how to follow a script blindly. We have seen “extraction artists” hold the owners of manual systems hostage for more pay, a piece of the company, etc.
Yes. Our fully automated systems have 2 levels of safety protection – electronic control and mechanical backups. Electronic control continuously monitors the pressures within the entire system and will react automatically to an over-pressure condition to prevent damage to the equipment and release of CO2 into the operating space. Manual systems don’t have this level of safety control and, thus, require the operator to continuously monitor the system to prevent an over-pressure condition.
Absolutely not! Manufacturers of manually operated machines will frequently claim that you need a manually operated system in order to have control of the extraction process. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Our fully automated systems allow the user to have complete control of the critical extraction parameters – pressure, temperature and time – throughout the entire extraction process, but eliminates the need for the operator to continually monitor the system and make manual adjustments. An analogy is cruise control on your car – cruise control monitors and controls the speed, but you can adjust it anytime, and you can always hit the brake or accelerator!
Yes. As of 2016, our Mid-range (The Transformer™) and High Production (The Force™ and The Duplex™)extraction systems feature data-tracking software which allows operators to record, track and verify temperatures and pressure variations of runs.
We take pride in offering safe, exceptionally user-friendly, fully automated systems. Our customers are more than just customers, and we set them up to succeed by providing best-in-industry customer support. On-site training (for U.S. customers) is included in the price of purchase.
Apeks has CO2 closed loop extractors for sale that are manufactured in as little as 8 weeks, while some of our competitors are eight months out! We are steadfast in our commitment to quality and there are some things we simply will not compromise on therefore, we offer a 3-year warranty across all of our systems.