Hey guys, I’m currently running some chlorophyll crude at the moment and am running into problems. I filtered it , winterized, decarbed, and did a terp strip. I am running it at the same parameters as I do with my regular crude. The distillate is coming out too dark and not really able to get a clear film on the main body like I do on regular crude. Maybe i need to tweak the parameters entirely for this material? Any input would help. Thank you In advance for any help. I’ll put a video up so that you guys can better see.
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Depending on your margins on the Distilate you have a few options.
On the lower end of added cost per gram/ overall effort
You can try the “hot condenser tek” for help with the clarity and or charcoal scrubbing the crude before decarbing.
On the higher end you can add polar/non-polar LLE
And or chromatography with magsil,
Theres great articles on each of these on this site as well 
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You should attempt to remove the chlorophyll before attempting to heat the solution at all. Your dark color probably comes from thermal decomposition of the chlorophyll into pheophytin.
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Thank you all! I’ll let you know how it goes
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A little activated carbon will take the chlorophyll right out. 5% of oil weight in carbon or so.
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Just a heads up, do a room temp or warm ethanol/ carbon scrub.
I did a heaping tablespoon per 1/2 gallon, stirred, shook, let sit for 30 mins. Then filter.
Ac will absorb thc, albiet minimal.
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Liquid liquid separation will fix this easy. Dissolve your wax in an alcohol and wash it with heptane till the heptane comes out clear, the chloraphyll will stay in the alcohol. Roto vap your heptane and distill and itll be gold on second pass.
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Heptane and ethanol are miscible. Heptane and methanol are not.
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Use 190 proof for winterizing (which you should be anyways if you know anything about winterizing) and you’re fine.
Heptane and hexane both dissolve a little bit of water anyways.
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Nothing lik ethanol in heptane though…what are you saying? That heptane and 190 proof ethanol will separate? Not efficiently, and not fully…
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Just a small imiscible layer at the bottom right?
Yes 190 proof and heptane will fully seperate. Why wouldnt they? Have you even tried liquid liquid? Maybe you should try it before you try to chime in on something you know nothing about.
I’ve used 190 and heptane with no problems with separation. Hexane on the other hand will give you problems. Heptane separates quickly, from anything. It’s one of its properties and why they use heptane in the PR SOP. The reason I said heptane holds a little water is because it does, someone put up a table on how much water each solvent holds. Heptane doesnt hold much but some water from the 190 will stay in the heptane (were talking low ppms ) this will slightly affect the color as water loves chloraphyll. I always winterize my chlorophyll crude in methanol then go straight to heptane washes as it gives me better color then with 190 with water in it.
Boy’s got words to throw huh
Ego’s a funny thing.
Go ahead. Prove me incorrect in regards to miscibility. I said ethanol and Heptane and miscible. And methanol and Heptane are not. Prove me wrong, big dawg.
I also said that Heptane will dissolve much more ethanol than it will water. Again. Prove me wrong, since you have such a strong attitude about it.
I never said you were incorrect about 190 proof. I asked for clarification to make sure I understood what you meant by the following:
I’ll just leave this bit here. No need for explanation.
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I’m not the only one I guess
Not the only one that ______?
I’ve seen the separation take much longer than usual when using 190 proof than with methanol. I haven’t performed solvent analysis to say how much ethanol is carried into the heptane. Have you? If so, I’d love to see empirical data. Not because I doubt you, so don’t keep twisting those panties. I actually like to learn, believe it or not… But if there is no chemical analysis that shows a lack of ethanol solubility in the hexane - then I stand by the fact that I think there will be significant residual ethanol in the heptane. I’m not saying you won’t still have great results from liquid-liquid extraction. What I’m saying is the solvents will still mix, and will separate slower than with totally immiscible solvents. Once again - I challenge you to prove otherwise with raw data. Not “I do it and it works. Have you ever done it? You don’t know why you’re talking about.” <-----Note the lack of empirical data.
“Efficient” is subjective and also dependent on method of separation. So when I say “not efficiently,” that is relative to a totally immiscible polar solvent with hexane.
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You do realize you’re the confused one here having to ask for an explanation lol
I guess you have words to throw too, which is funny seeing as that I’m just trying to help someone.
According to the phase diagram for the system ethanol—n-heptane—water at 25 ºC (*), ethanol is miscible with n-heptane at that temperature for the whole composition range, but phase separation may possibly occur for n-heptane richer solvent mixtures if water is present, even if at a relatively small amount.
(*) J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 28(4) 1999, 983-1235; cf. fig. 15.
5% is a small amount.
You can still do liquid liquid with 190 proof, yes it wont come out as good as methanol.
It is still possible though and works great.
Most people here dont use methanol, I’d bet everyone has some 190 laying around or can make it though. I only recently started using methanol.
Tbh I’m not really worried about how much residual ethanol stays in the heptane, you said ethanol and heptane are miscible and I said use 190. You say there will be some ethanol left over, I’m saying big deal you can still lighten the color with it. You’re acting like you cant do liquid liquid with 190 and have great results.
You can get them separated enough to do liquid liquid and that’s what counts. Idk why you’re so concerned when I’ve done this and it works to make golden distillate. That’s what counts. That’s “efficient” enough for me, especially if you dont want to use a slightly toxic solvent.
You do realize water and heptane are “immiscible” yet heptane still holds a few PPMs of water. The term Immiscible doesnt mean there completely void of each other. It just means “not forming a homogeneous mixture when added together”
By that definition 190 proof ethanol denatured with water is “immiscible” in heptane.
My concern is that you were quick to talk shit and say “I know nothing about” it. Yet you’ve literally agreed that everything I said is correct. Of course I’m gonna have words back…
I never once said that you won’t achieve refinement of the oil with this method. For some reason you are sure that I said so. Please quote me, if so. I was strictly speaking on the solvents separating from one another.
I also never said that 190 proof ethanol and water are immiscible. Please quote me where I did so. I said that the solvents will not separate entirely, as there will likely be some carry over. Whether you care bout it or not, it happens. When scaling operations and re-using solvents, it’s generally a good idea not to build up impurity in the solvent over time.