carbonX | Color Remediation

Remove Dark Color From Your Extracts

carbonX will give you the clarity you need in your hemp or cannabis extracts.

Activated carbon or charcoal is a very popular method of chlorophyll removal and color remediation, but tends to have its own drawbacks. Though it is effective at removing color, it also tends to remove desired active compounds, be a source for contamination, and introduce benzoprenes in your extracts as well.

extraktLAB’s answer to these oil refinement issues is carbonX, a color remediation solution with:

  • Faster filter flow rate
  • Higher pressure threshold
  • Consistent particle size
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What is carbonX?

carbonX is a mechanically stable material designed for color remediation in your extracts. It is radically different from activated carbon because it does not break up or make your hands black when handling. It is also clean so that combustion byproducts will not dissolve into your extracts after the extraction process. The material can be used in a filter funnel or in a dispersion. In order to perform the color remediation process, your extract is dissolved first in ethanol, then it is vacuum filtered through the carbonX media, then the rotovap removes the ethanol. You can also use it by filling your butane column with carbonX, improving the color and quality of your the extract on the fly. Finishing is completed in a vacuum oven.

carbonX vs. Other Extract Color Remediation Options


Compared to other color remediation media, such as GCB or Carbograph, carbonX is optimized for cleaner extracts and faster processing. carbonX is not dependent upon a number of factors other color remediation media is limited by:

Engineered for Analysis

  • Stable Pore Structure
  • Consistent Pore Structure
  • Stable Particle Size
  • Selectively Adsorbs Analytes

Provides

  • Better Flow
  • Better Remediation
  • Better Throughput
  • Better Reproducibility

Benefits

  • Does not need toluene
  • Reduced GC Maintenance, with 4x less liner usage
  • Unique selectivity for polars
  • Great pigment, lipid remediation
  • Tri-phase carbonX SPE without any reduced flow

Reagents and Equipment for Remediation of Color:


carbonX is an undoubtedly useful tool to create clear, high-quality hemp extract for wholesale and product formulation. In order to perform this task, there is some necessary equipment you will need:

  • 500 – 1000g of food grade carbonX
  • Vacuum Filtration Apparatus (1L)
  • Buchner funnel or similar
  • Optional 5L sidearm Erlenmeyer flask or similar
  • Rubber adaptor for vacuum filtration apparatus or Buchner
  • Technical filter paper (5-10 micron, for vacuum filtration apparatus, or Buchner, or similar)
  • Vacuum source Welch 2042 DryFast diaphragm pump or similar
  • Food Grade Ethanol, 200 proof (EtOH)
  • Clear glass test tubes, 5 mL
  • Filter Bag, 10 micron for CO2 regen
  • Spool and filter bag, 10 micron for butane regeneration.
unfiltered to filtered oil
carbonX

Decolorization Methods using carbonX

carbonX is an incredibly useful tool for remediation of dark color from your hemp or cannabis extract. There are a few methods you can use in your process to remove plant chlorophylls to ensure a more desirable extract color and quality with carbonX:

Dispersive Method

  1. Sample product dissolved in ethanol by placing 2 mL into a clear test tube
  2. Place 1g carbonX per 100 mL into a glass bottle. Shake bottle and let sit for 5 min.
  3. Sample ethanol again by placing 2 mL into a clear test tube. Compare to the original sample.
  4. If a lighter color is desired, increase the amount of carbonX to a total of 4 g per 100 mL.
  5. Shake for 1 minute on a commercial bottle shaker or roller.
  6. Let the solution sit for 5 min.
  7. Retest using.
  8. Repeat by increasing carbon until desired color is achieved. It is critical that there is sufficient time for adsorption between increased levels of carbon.
  9. Filter the carbonX using a new technical paper and the Bucher funnel apparatus above. Recover carbonX from filter paper. Regenerate carbonX according to the procedure below.

Filter Bed Method

  1. Sample ethanol by placing 2 mL into a clear test tube.
  2. Place technical paper in a filter flask.
  3. Place 600 mL of carbonX into a glass filter flask.
  4. Place glass filter flask on 4L sidearm Erlenmeyer.
  5. Wet technical paper with food grade ethanol.
  6. Turn on the vacuum.
  7. Pour dark ethanol solution through the filter cake.
  8. Collect filtrate in 4L flask
  9. Sample ethanol again by placing 2 mL into a clear test tube.
  10. Compare to the original.
  11. If a lighter color is desired, repeat the filtration.
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Regeneration Procedures: 

carbonX will eventually foul and become unusable. However, there are several methods to regenerate carbonX:

ETHANOL & WATER

You can wash carbonX with hot food grade ethanol to remove waxes and fats and boiling water second to remove chlorophyll. To do this, you should use the filter bed method as described above, or on a larger scale, the table top Buchner. You can rotovap the ethanol and discard the residue. Boiling water shall be discarded.

SUPERCRITICAL CO2

You can also regenerate the carbon with supercritical CO2. You will need a filter bag and a supercritical fluid vessel and CO2 source. Temperature is 80oC at 5000 psi. Waxes and solids will elute from the carbon. Recommended time is 2 hours at 100 mL/min.

BUTANE

You can regenerate the carbonX with butane. You will need a sanitary spool and filtration bags.

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