Could you elaborate on how the ethanol might interact with some of those different filter medias?
I remember reading once there was a filter media that would dissolve at some scale into your solution when mixed with a solvent that doesn’t immediately come to mind either.
I think it would. Pentane likes cold so you can keep your terpenes in recovery
Kind of like how a solvent gradient works. A more polar solvent can move some compounds through a column of media easier than a non-polar solvent. Also, from what I hear (and experience), bleaching clays don’t seem to work all that well in ethanol.
I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of silica in methanol. Idk if “disolve” would be the right word, but I definitely got something that looked like silica to come through my sintered glass filter when I tried flushing a DCVC column with methanol.
That’s what you filter over celite/de
On the concept of how things elute through filter media…
I could see what you’re saying. We’re working with a more polar solvent and as such we’d be pulling some of those polar compounds we wanted to leave behind along for the ride.
Could the different properties of the sorbents provide us an affect similar to that of using different solvents?
I was thinking an AC/magsil/alumina/celite bed might have some effects? The bleaching/acid-bentonite is still an issue though. If you had enough bentonite it would probably brighten it though. You’d just need a shit-ton for the low reactivity, and it would create a really slow through put.
I kinda thought of mixing the magsil/alumina/ac/bentonite into a slurry, overtop a celite bed. Hoping the mixture would help counteract the slowness of the bentonite.
I just worry about that damn orange hue with the AC. Though mixed with everything else, that concern might not be an issue.
I was thinking of stirring my t-5 into my etoh solution like a warm carbon scrub then decant, filter, then dump the clay onto the filter and wash it with clean etoh.
I’ve done some acid activated bentonite in ethanol for a couple hours. Didn’t do anything immediately, but noticed some clarifying effects after letting it sit for a week… maybe just needs a bunch of time on the ethanol? (Though I know nobody has the time/money to sit for a week and wait!)
ORRRRRRRRRRRR
Combine all this stuff into the ethanol (maybe not the charcoal? maybe the charcoal?) and stir for a few hours?/days? then filter through celite? Maybe the ethanol just needs more time since it’s got a real affinity for the junk on initial extract!
I think multiple scrubs would be more effective than a long soak - especially with AC
how hot did you do the scrub?
My apologies…
I had planned to tackle on this experiment this week but the weeks come and gone. Unfortunately, this is definitely on the R&D side and my production is priority. As soon as I get some spare time again, I’ll continue the project
But since you fellas seem to be currently working on it - Activated Alumina & the PVPP are what perk my interest the most. My first combination was to do a warm scrub with T5, allow the solution to cool then filter over a bed of Activated Alumina, PVPP & Celite (in order from top to bottom). If one of you beat me to it, please do share your findings!
The concern for me with a long soak time with carbon in the mix would be the comments everywhere about carbon absorbing cannabinoids after extended contact.
I’d also be concerned that extended exposure to an acid washed bentonite might steal cannabinoids from my solution. That’s what I like about the concept of the t-5 neutral bentonite clay out there. I’ve even considered a neutral carbon to compliment, but without the stark difference in polarity between solvent and media I’m not sure if the results would be very impressive without really long exposure times and/or agitating.
My understanding is acid washed bentonite is negatively charged due to acid washing, in much the same fashion carbon is negatively charged, and I believe it is the negative charge, coupled with the ability to store the polar molecules somewhat permanently within the particles, that both risk capturing our cannabinoids to a degree.(if that understanding is inaccurate please correct me)
Balancing media polarity against the polarity of the solvent carrying the oil through the media might be beneficial here.
On a side note, @Dred_pirate confirmed the concern about silica dissolving into ethanol solutions in small amounts, but any amount in my mind would be highly unacceptable. Does anyone know offhand if that would only apply to silica or also to magisil and magisil PR?
Also, I know carbon and bentonite tend to work better at warmer temps, but would using them with a solution in the -30 or colder range help because of the temps affect on solvent polarity?
On the long scrub and settle I did it at 70c I think? Just below the boiling point.
I really want to hear how that turns out. That’s almost exactly what I was planning. I’m interested in utilizing some magisil at the bottom just before the celite.
I can’t wait to see that first money shot in this thread.
@TheLostBiologist have you tried working with any of these other filter medias to produce a clear concentrate? I recall you mentioned sometimes in the first pour when using your cryo-etoh tek that sometimes it comes out clear right?
What exactly is the purpose of a filter stack in this context? We aren’t doing chromatography, just simple adsorption. Why not just mix all the adsorbents up in bulk and stir them into the solution wet scrub style, then run through a higher throughput filter?
I guess we’re all assuming a -40 to -80c ethanol extract to begin with?
If that’s the case I think we can definitely nix the charcoal entirely. It’s primarily useful for greens.
I think the magsil will pick up any stray bits of green/brown that may have snuck through.
definitely not ruling that method out…just figured a process of elimination of different combinations would be a more traceable route.
My concern with jumping straight into that method however - how will you determine which adsorbent was the ‘game changer’?
Edit: with stacks, i’m hoping we could see what is being captured at the different filters as they have seen in the BHO thread
I guess using the filter cakes or stirring is kind of moot as far as the number of variables you’d be isolating.
We know for sure increased reactions will occur with heat but we’ll need to pressure filter instead of vacuum in either method.
I think stirring would increase the total possible reactions occurring.