What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Loss of Cannabinoids with Activated Carbon

c03rcion

New member
I tried passing some dark green cannabinoid solution through some activated carbon and was highly impressed with the improvement in color and clarity. I understand some loss of desirable compounds is to be expected.

I placed some activated carbon in a 90mm porcelain buchner funnel with a pre-wetted qualitative filter paper. It may have been enough carbon to make a cake 2 cm high. I added enough ethanol to the carbon to make a slurry and applied the vacuum to the flask to make the carbon like a cake.

I then started passing some of the dark green solution through my filter, under vacuum, and watched the liquid emerge from the bottom of the funnel and drop into the filter flask. I was curious to see it was appearing light yellow. I was surprised after about 200 ml I had no more green and a very nice yellow-gold looking solution with excellent clarity.

I also tried passing some of this dark green stuff through some ground up diatomaceous earth but didn't see much of a change.

I also tried mixing a couple of table spoons with the DE and got an improvement in clarity (the red pigment was gone) but the green was definitely still there.

How much of the cannabinoids and terpenes can I expected to be retained by the charcoal?

Is there a better way to remove the pigments (the dark red pigment and chlorophyll)?

Is there a suggested ratio of mass of carbon to liter of solution?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0319.jpg
    IMG_0319.jpg
    40.1 KB · Views: 26
  • IMG_0320.jpg
    IMG_0320.jpg
    39.7 KB · Views: 21

WaterFarmFan

Active member
Veteran
Interesting. Not sure about the chemistry, but I have some basic questions:

How much ethanol is in your starting cannabinoid solution?
How many ml of ethanol did you add to your slurry?
How did the starting volume compare the finished volume?

From my research on terpenes, I am quite certain that carbon is most likely grabbing some as the organics are quite volitile. If you only want a more distillate like product, without the short path, than this might be viable.

Did you purge the yellow-gold solution after your process? What was the consistency? How does that consistency and effect compare to shatter made without your filtering step?
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I tried passing some dark green cannabinoid solution through some activated carbon and was highly impressed with the improvement in color and clarity. I understand some loss of desirable compounds is to be expected.

I placed some activated carbon in a 90mm porcelain buchner funnel with a pre-wetted qualitative filter paper. It may have been enough carbon to make a cake 2 cm high. I added enough ethanol to the carbon to make a slurry and applied the vacuum to the flask to make the carbon like a cake.

I then started passing some of the dark green solution through my filter, under vacuum, and watched the liquid emerge from the bottom of the funnel and drop into the filter flask. I was curious to see it was appearing light yellow. I was surprised after about 200 ml I had no more green and a very nice yellow-gold looking solution with excellent clarity.

I also tried passing some of this dark green stuff through some ground up diatomaceous earth but didn't see much of a change.

I also tried mixing a couple of table spoons with the DE and got an improvement in clarity (the red pigment was gone) but the green was definitely still there.

How much of the cannabinoids and terpenes can I expected to be retained by the charcoal?

Is there a better way to remove the pigments (the dark red pigment and chlorophyll)?

Is there a suggested ratio of mass of carbon to liter of solution?

Activated charcoal works, but as you alluded, has a healthy appetite for the target elements as well.

You might try adding enough citric acid to turn the solution bright yellow, and then running it through Bensonite clay filters to neutralize and filter.

After the citric acid, you can also add the same measure of pentane or hexane and brine. Shake, allow to separate, drain off the alcohol and water mit der crap, and evaporate off the solvent to yield the concentrate.
 

c03rcion

New member
Activated charcoal works, but as you alluded, has a healthy appetite for the target elements as well.

You might try adding enough citric acid to turn the solution bright yellow, and then running it through Bensonite clay filters to neutralize and filter.

After the citric acid, you can also add the same measure of pentane or hexane and brine. Shake, allow to separate, drain off the alcohol and water mit der crap, and evaporate off the solvent to yield the concentrate.

Once again thanks for the information GW. I actually like the bright yellow-gold color. But I am always interested to know more techniques.
 

SkyHighLer

Got me a stone bad Mana
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Activated charcoal works, but as you alluded, has a healthy appetite for the target elements as well.

You might try adding enough citric acid to turn the solution bright yellow, and then running it through Bensonite clay filters to neutralize and filter.

After the citric acid, you can also add the same measure of pentane or hexane and brine. Shake, allow to separate, drain off the alcohol and water mit der crap, and evaporate off the solvent to yield the concentrate.

GW has several articles with the details at his site, here's a couple:

https://thealchemistresource.thealchemistresource.com/p/blog-page_3.html

https://thealchemistresource.thealchemistresource.com/p/6_1.html


Here it is from Dave, the link is cued up, Step 6: Purification,

https://archive.org/stream/CannabisAlchemy/cannabis-alchemy#page/n25/mode/2up

The petroleum ether mentioned can be referenced elsewhere in the book, it is the low boiling point faction (35-60C) composed mostly of pentane with some hexane. Pure pentane (and other quality solvents) are readily available to the general public in the US, follow the "Solvents and polarity" link in my Signature below. Expand the thread, and Search for the solvent you need, I posted the details of where and how to purchase them including pictures of what I received and how it was packaged for shipment.

Here's an example,

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7849359&postcount=35
 

G.O. Joe

Active member
Veteran
The proper amount of carbon is the minimum. It's too variable a product to say what you have in your hands for sure, but the rule of thumb is larger molecules have more stickiness to the carbon.
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
And what of the carbon particle size? Are pellets or a powder preferable? Most reference powder.
 

SkyHighLer

Got me a stone bad Mana
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Again from Dave, Chapter 8, Preparation of Translucent (Honey) Oil (I also attached a screenshot,)

https://archive.org/stream/CannabisAlchemy/cannabis-alchemy#page/n55/mode/2up

Definition of norit: a commercially produced activated carbon that is used as an adsorbent (as for decolorizing sugar solutions or isolating vitamins or antibiotics)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/norit

You want powdered,

https://www.cabotcorp.com/solutions/applications/food-and-beverage/edible-oils

From the info sheet,

Another important goal in this application is the removal of unwanted colors from oils. For biological oils derived from fish and plants, activated carbon is the preferred technology for decolorization as bleaching earths are no longer permitted for this purpose. Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) is highly effective for the removal of PAHs and unwanted colors in the edible oil refining industry.


This site has a lot of general info about activated carbon in the pages listed at the right,

https://alcoholpurification.com
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2017-12-01 at 11.22.38 AM.jpg
    Screen Shot 2017-12-01 at 11.22.38 AM.jpg
    82.9 KB · Views: 22
Last edited:

c03rcion

New member
Again from Dave, Chapter 8, Preparation of Translucent (Honey) Oil (I also attached a screenshot,)

https://archive.org/stream/CannabisAlchemy/cannabis-alchemy#page/n55/mode/2up

Definition of norit: a commercially produced activated carbon that is used as an adsorbent (as for decolorizing sugar solutions or isolating vitamins or antibiotics)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/norit

You want powdered,

https://www.cabotcorp.com/solutions/applications/food-and-beverage/edible-oils

From the info sheet,

Another important goal in this application is the removal of unwanted colors from oils. For biological oils derived from fish and plants, activated carbon is the preferred technology for decolorization as bleaching earths are no longer permitted for this purpose. Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) is highly effective for the removal of PAHs and unwanted colors in the edible oil refining industry.


This site has a lot of general info about activated carbon in the pages listed at the right,

https://alcoholpurification.com


Thank you for the info!

I can only assume when the Instagram bros hashtag carbonscrubbed, they are referring to using activated carbon, which of course is nothing new to chemists. I have always thought of it as the "big gun" as Zubrick describes it.

Would ben
 

G.O. Joe

Active member
Veteran
And what of the carbon particle size? Are pellets or a powder preferable? Most reference powder.

The powder is synonymous with decolorizing, but some labs do use granular or pellet for that purpose - there is never ever a picture of fish on the label.

The use of columns of carbon in certain applications such as ethanol purification has no relevance to how to purify THC. If you try that with Darco or Norit powder I don't see how you'll have any THC left. It could be fully decolorized though. I could go on about misplaced trust and Cannabis Alchemy but this is not the place for it. In my hands stirring with a pinch of Norit A will remove red but not yellow. It pulls out something that is neither, nor THC, that makes it heavy or sticky - but after it's gone carbon remains suspended for longer. Green should be no problem.
 

Bongstar420

Member
Send the starting material to the lab. Send the finished material to the lab. Do some basic math on those results.

Problem solved

You can also do a bulk measurement without the lab though you won't know potency difference because I seriously doubt you can discern the difference between 50 and 70% thc through consumption. I suppose if it yielded 90% thc, you might be able to differentiate that from 50% starting product.

You almost certainly lose cannabiniods in the process because they do bind to carbon...same with terps...though I am unsure why you are concerned about losing the terps. I always had a problem with way too terpy extracts and gave up on self extracting during early med to rec sales due to nothing but ultra sappy extracts though golden.

I tried zeolite once. Not recommended. The ethanol produced a heat bearing reaction. Did clear up greens though when I put it through with solubilized extract..still heat produced. Presumed chemical reaction with new products coming out the output.

If you have light green extract, I know a non-filter process that eliminates green and makes it go just a touch of brown on the gold...had some plants that made brownish extracts without chlorophyll in there.

I can tell you for sure you can do better on your greens coming through the primary extract by improving your process. I get high yield etoh extracts with less green than in your picture....now, of course this is worthless because no one cares really. I can't get work in the industry despite being in Oregon with a good background. Seems owners are inept and looking to shape a culture rather then put money into the quality work or even give an "outsider" not connected to "social" a proper shot at greatness. Oh, I'm homeless now, in part because of my exposure to risk in the cannabis industry. Being the highest performer at numerous job sites has literally done nothing for me.
 
Last edited:

AOD2012

I have the key, now i need to find the lock..
Veteran
Sky - what is your opinion on using that Celite/Charcoal combo to lighten up oil made from older product?

Due to a bunch of life events happening one after another, I have had close to 10# sitting in a freezer for a little over a year waiting to be processed. Finally have time to start doing it & have been scouring the threads for a way to just make the end product a little more aesthetically pleasing.

aod
 

SkyHighLer

Got me a stone bad Mana
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I take what I get from simple BHO soak extractions, except in the case of budder/wax that looks like diarrhea.

I'd dissolve it in alcohol, winterize it, and after filtering the solution do a liquid/liquid extraction with pentane as described a few posts back. (The pentane top layer can be easily pulled off with a fine tipped pipette combined with the smooth draw of a pipette pump.) I'd then add the charcoal and filter through Celite 545. The pentane would be evaporated off or vacuum recovered at below 115F, followed by vacuum purging at 115F down to -29.5" Hg.


Natural color is valued in other connoisseur consumables, honey, and olive oil come to mind (go to an authentic Middle Eastern supermarket and check out the gallon jugs of real first pressings - the best contain globs/layers of semi-solids, and tastes as wicked as it looks.)
 
Last edited:

HWY36

Member
Activated charcoal works, but as you alluded, has a healthy appetite for the target elements as well.

You might try adding enough citric acid to turn the solution bright yellow, and then running it through Bensonite clay filters to neutralize and filter.

After the citric acid, you can also add the same measure of pentane or hexane and brine. Shake, allow to separate, drain off the alcohol and water mit der crap, and evaporate off the solvent to yield the concentrate.

Is the final product ever a stable shatter consistency or is it always sappy? Is there a way to do it where the final product is a stable shatter consistency? Thx
 

axle2u

Member
im curious about the red color , you were trying to scrub out with the carbon
please tell me more about it....I want to make a red oil


how did you do it...?


axle robot...
 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top