DEWAXING, DEPIGMENTATION/SUGAR REMOVAL, AND SOLVENT RECOVERY
Membrane Nanofiltration Systems
Key Features
- Average permeation rate ranges between 30 (X-Spiral 2.5) and 400 (X-Spiral 8) gal/h (60-800 gal/h for solvent recovery)
- Capable of dewaxing or depigmenting between 2 (X-Spiral 2.5) and 30 (X-Spiral 8) kg of ethanol extract per hour
- Enables cold ethanol extraction at -20 °C with no decrease of product quality, increasing extraction throughput on your existing system
- Ultra-low energy dual-pump design enables incredibly efficient solvent recovery, with one-third the energy consumption of other Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) units
- Removes up to 95% of solvent after initial extraction
- Extremely flexible universal membrane housing allows use of any filter element – does not require the use of expensive proprietary membranes
- Pressures up to 1000 PSI and cross-flows between 10 (X-Spiral 2.5) and 100 (X-Spiral 8) GPM
- Low-cost of ownership: filters typically last 6-12 months ($400 to $1,400 each)
advantages of nanofiltration
In-line dewaxing ensures optimal product quality and purity throughout downstream processes, and eliminates the costly winterization process. Residue-rich crude can cause coking of distillation equipment, reducing efficiency of solvent recovery and molecular distillation. Sugar residues present in residue can cause clogging of gear pumps and check valves, leading to frequent cleaning and maintenance. By removing these contaminants prior to solvent recovery, maintenance of downstream equipment is greatly reduced, while enhancing product color, purity, and yield.
OSN: Low Energy, Low Temperature Solvent Recovery
Traditional solvent recovery methods require significant energy input in order to heat the miscella and then cool the vapors to condense the solvent. Over time, the electrical costs can add up, with large falling film evaporators requiring tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in energy costs alone. Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) enables low-energy recovery of ethanol in a rapid, safe, and efficient manner, without exposing the product to excess heat.
OSN functions in a similar manner as reverse osmosis, specially designed filtration membranes have pores of a specific size. In solvent recovery applications, these pores are small enough that only ethanol can pass through; in dewaxing/depigmentation applications, the pores are large enough for solvent, terpenes, and cannabinoids to pass through. Pressure is used to overcome osmotic forces, enabling rapid concentration of the miscella.
Additionally, very little heat is generated in the process. Thus solvent recovery can be accomplished without decarboxylation of the target cannabinoids, enabling the large-scale production of quality shatters and crumbles from cold-ethanol extractors.
