Efficient extraction of terpenes from hemp and cannabis

维多利亚大学研究人员和Keirton之间的伙伴关系旨在进一步了解从大麻或大麻生物质中提取萜烯和其他挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的过程，并评估执行该过程的不同技术。萜烯具有大麻产品的风味，而其医疗效果与大麻素有关。常见的提取工艺是溶液型的，其中萜烯溶解在挥发性溶剂中，然后通过溶剂蒸发分离。这些过程会破坏多达30-50%的萜烯。此外，溶剂产生低质量的产品（例如，混浊的液体，难闻的气味）。该项目将研究使用冷冻干燥技术提取萜烯和挥发性有机化合物，以取代基于溶液的技术。拟议的研究将为提取过程的每个阶段确定或开发物理模型，并将它们连接起来，以获得提取过程的完整知识，以便Keirton可以最佳地应用该技术并将其商业化到加拿大制造的新产品中。过程的设计和控制依赖于对过程物理的理解，这将是研究的结果。系统架构将需要关于不同方法的特征和需求的信息。确定最佳工作条件需要热力学的洞察力。大麻合法化正在世界范围内取得进展。加拿大在大麻合法化方面处于领先地位，有望成为大麻产业相关技术的领导者和提供者。目前市场上还没有提取大麻萜类和挥发性有机化合物的工业技术。项目完成后，Keirton将通过为不断增长的全球大麻市场设计和开发产品，将通过该项目获得的知识应用于该技术的商业化。开发这项技术将使加拿大处于该行业的前沿，并有助于加拿大大麻部门的发展。

This partnership between UVic Researchers and Keirton is intended to further the understanding of processes for extracting terpenes and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from hemp or cannabis biomass and evaluating different technologies for carrying out the process. Terpenes carry the flavor of cannabis products, while the medical effects are related to cannabinoids. The common extraction processes are solution based, where terpenes are dissolved in volatile solvents, and then isolated by evaporation of the solvent. These processes destroy as much as 30-50% of terpenes. Moreover, the solvents yield low quality product (e.g., cloudy liquid, unpleasant smell). The project will examine the use of freeze drying technologies for extraction of terpenes and VOC to replace solution based techniques. The proposed research will identify or develop physics models for each stage of the extraction process and interface them to obtain a full knowledge of the extraction process so Keirton can optimally apply and commercialize the technology into new products made in Canada. Design of the processes, and their control relies on understanding of the physics of the process, which will be a result of the research. The system architecture will need information about the characteristics and requirements of the different methodologies. Determining the best working conditions requires insight from thermodynamics. Legalization of cannabis is progressing worldwide. Canada is at the frontier in legalization, and is positioned to become a leader and provider of cannabis industry related technologies. There currently is no industrial technology on the market for extracting cannabis derived terpenes and VOC's. Following the project completion, Keirton will apply the knowledge obtained through this project to commercialize this technology by designing and developing products for a growing global cannabis market. Developing this technology will put Canada at the forefront of the industry and help to grow the Canadian cannabis sector.