Pressure-Temperature
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There are several methods used for cannabis distillation. Here are some of the commonly employed techniques:
- Short Path Distillation: Short path distillation is a widely used method for cannabis distillation. It involves heating the cannabis extract under vacuum to reduce the boiling points of different compounds and separate them based on their volatility. The process utilizes a short path distillation apparatus consisting of a boiling flask, a distillation head, a condenser, and a collection flask.
- Wiped Film Distillation: Wiped film distillation, also known as molecular distillation, is a high-efficiency distillation technique. It involves heating the cannabis extract on a heated surface, while a rotating wiper blade continuously spreads the extract as a thin film. This method is particularly effective for separating compounds with similar boiling points and achieving a high level of purity.
- Steam Distillation: Steam distillation is a method commonly used for extracting essential oils from plants, including cannabis. It involves passing steam through the cannabis plant material, vaporizing the essential oils and other volatile compounds. The vapor is then condensed and collected, resulting in a distilled product.
- Vacuum Distillation: Vacuum distillation utilizes reduced pressure to lower the boiling points of the compounds being distilled. By applying a vacuum, the distillation process can be conducted at lower temperatures, minimizing the degradation of heat-sensitive compounds. Vacuum distillation is often employed in combination with other distillation methods to optimize the process.
- Fractional Distillation: Fractional distillation is a technique used to separate and collect different fractions of compounds based on their boiling points. It involves using a fractionating column, which provides multiple vaporization-condensation cycles, allowing for repeated separation of different compounds based on their boiling points. This method is useful when distilling complex mixtures of compounds.
- Cold Trapping: Cold trapping is a technique used in distillation to collect volatile compounds that are condensed at low temperatures. By cooling the distillate vapor, volatile compounds can be collected separately from the non-volatile components, improving the purity of the final distillate.
Temperature
To fully understand distillation, one must consider the vapor pressure vs. composition plots for a hypothetical mixture at some arbitrary temperature at which both liquid and gas phases can exist, depending on the total pressure1. You can use tools such as the Pressure-Temperature Nomograph Interactive Tool to calculate a boiling point or pressure using the Antoine Equation. You will need to adjust the temperature and vacuum settings according to the boiling points of different cannabinoids. For example, THC boils at around 157°C (315°F), while CBD boils at around 180°C (356°F).
