Hemp & CBD – The proven effectiveness of CO₂ supercritical extraction and purification

The benefits of supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) in CBD hemp extraction

The CBD molecule present in hemp has numerous beneficial properties for health and the human body. This is why its use is so popular in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical cosmetics.

Industrial hemp: plant varieties containing less than 0.3% THC

Therapeutic hemp: plant varieties containing more than 0.3% THC (psychotropic effects)
(CBD therapeutic hemp, THC therapeutic hemp and CBD + THC therapeutic hemp)

CBD: the main cannabinoid in hemp with no psychoactive effect

From extraction to purification of cannabinoids using supercritical CO₂

CBD extraction with supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) produces a solvent-free extract, since the CO₂ evaporates completely and no trace of contaminants is present in the finished product, unlike extraction with petrochemical solvents. Thanks to our innovation, the cold trap, you can collect terpenes with supercritical CO₂ and extract them from fresh flowers, which are much richer in terpenes.

Infinite extraction possibilities

CBD extraction with scCO₂ is full of possibilities. Depending on the extraction recipe (pressure and temperature), you can obtain different qualities of extracts: colors, textures, aromas and tastes.

Obtaining CBD isolate

On the same raw material, the CBD or other cannabinoid content may vary according to the extraction conditions. Depending on the final objective, which may range from the production of full spectrum, broad spectrum or CBD isolate, extraction conditions may simplify access to the isolate, for example. The 99% pure CBD isolate can be obtained by coupling CBD extraction with supercritical CO₂ followed by chromatography. chromatography. This CBD extraction process is also used to obtain medical THC from therapeutic hemp.

Our equipment for CBD extraction and purification

For your supercritical CO₂ CBD projects, we offer two ranges of standard equipment, depending on your needs: the extraction range (SFE Prod (and XL) or the SFE Lab) and the chromatography range (SFC). With these tailor-made systems, you can harvest a crude oil extract, the first step in obtaining the full spectrum, and you can also purify your extract to obtain a 99% pure molecule. CBD hemp flowers undergo no aggressive processing, preserving the integrity of the cannabinoids.

Laboratory scale

SFE LAB

Standard range from 100ml to 2L

Discover the range

Production scale

SFE PROD

Standard range from 2x5L to 2x100L

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All our machines, designed for cannabinoid extraction by supercritical CO₂, can be prepared for GMP, 21 CFR Part 11 certification.

A rapidly transposable extraction process

Supercritical CO₂ extraction of hemp CBD flowers has many advantages for you and the planet: it’s a fast, scalable, clean and safe CBD extraction process.

Fast

A complete CBD extraction with supercritical CO2 takes, on average, 2 hours (the time given is an average value which may vary depending on the quality of the hemp, its CBD content and the desired extract quality).

Evolutionary

Our systems are designed to be modular, scalable and adaptable to your production needs. They are also designed to scale up your CBD extraction process from laboratory to industrial scale.

Clean

Supercritical CO2 is a technology that enables CBD hemp flowers to be extracted and washed in an environmentally-friendly way. CO2 is a natural, non-toxic, inert and odorless solvent, unlike petrochemical solvents.

Safe

Supercritical CO2 is a safe and effective solvent that does not have the risks associated with other solvents used for extraction, such as volatile and potentially explosive organic solvents. What’s more, supercritical CO2 can be easily separated and recycled, making it an ecological and economical choice for full spectrum CBD extraction with supercritical CO2.

Our R&D centre for CBD extraction

SFE Process has its own research and development laboratory to carry out your feasibility studies and develop tomorrow’s technologies. Would you like to test your biomass before embarking on CBD extraction and purification with supercritical CO₂? Our laboratory is equipped with several pilots to offer you a top-quality service and full support in scaling up your process, from laboratory scale to pilot scale producing your first batches.