Carrier Solvents in Extraction:
Ethanol vs Butane

It is true, both Ethanol and Butane (also referred to as Hydrocarbon) can be used to extract oil from cannabis and hemp. When considering which solvent to use, a processor should carefully review the safety, efficacy and working history of a given solvent in application. Operating costs can be masked and provide a false positive to select a solvent because it is less expensive to purchase, when, it is more expensive to use. This blog will explain some of these differences between Ethanol and Butane and will help guide a processor to make more informed and better decisions regarding extraction methods and carrier solvents used in these same extraction methods.

Industrial supply chains were seemingly secure prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Since then, they have demonstrated fragility and this has led manufacturers to think of supply chains differently and more creatively in order to increase production capacity.

Essential oil extractions are performed to obtain important and valuable ingredients from plant matter and have been occurring for centuries. Early pharmaceuticals utilized extraction techniques in medicine and still today extractions from plant matter are used to obtain critical oils that are used in manufacturing medicines. An example of this is the use of yam biomatter to extract precursors for the intermediate of testosterone. Extractions are also performed to obtain many of today’s fragrances.

Ethanol is a versatile solvent that is used in a variety of applications. For example, forms of ethanol are found in distilled spirits that have been produced and consumed for hundreds of years. Ethanol is a key additive in modified forms, ethyl alcohol is used in hand sanitizer products as we all have learned during the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States.

The past year has been turbulent in many, many ways. This turbulence has introduced new variables and concerns associated with supply chains and the availability of materials. Prior to 2020, we largely were able to assume and rely on our supply chains based on conventional assumptions.

Purity can be an important measurement for organic solvents, one which an end user will often consider prior to purchase of a solvent. In parts washing applications, purity of an organic solvent is not necessarily the best measurement for effectiveness in application and solvent concentration needs to be carefully considered.

CBG Biotech’s PathTrue™ series of laboratory solvent recyclers are important for the effective and efficient operation of your laboratory. PathTrue™ laboratory recyclers incorporate programming/controller engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering, in order to ensure effective operations.

Clean solvents are critical for parts washing and cleaning applications because the cleaner the solvent, the better job it will do removing contaminants from the parts that your company is manufacturing.

Virtually every part that's manufactured needs to be washed before it's ready for use, whether it's a plastic part for a toy or a precise metal part used in an aircraft. During the manufacturing process, some combination of cutting oil, grease and grime is introduced, and removing any of these substances is ultimately required to pass quality-control checks and, most importantly, ensure public safety.

Most hospital, reference and university labs—whether histology, pathology, chemistry, cytology or veterinary—carefully evaluate capital expenditures, which are equipment costs that typically exceed $2,500. Lab managers need to be able to show hospital and university officials who approve capital expenses that these purchases provide long-term value to the organization and substantial economic benefits.