Sonication, sometimes known as ultrasonication, is a soundwave technology that is widely employed in a variety of industries, including biofuels, pharmaceuticals, wastewater treatment, and other processes. It’s also required for the manufacturing of nanoemulsions and other nanoparticles — which may seem familiar because it’s now widely utilized in the cannabidiol (CBD) industry, as well as other industries.
However, ultrasonic technology may be beneficial for a variety of applications other than nanoemulsion. Also in the extraction business, high-frequency technology is being used to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Today, the cannabis extraction industry depends nearly entirely on classic extraction technologies that employ solvents, heat, and pressure to extract the cannabis plant’s active ingredients. But, what if there was a method to make the present solvent criteria even more effective?
Ultrasonic extraction, often known as sonication, enhances solvent-based extractions in the following ways:
reducing the amount of time it takes to process
Increasing the pace of extraction
Temperatures are being lowered in order to protect volatile cannabinoids.
Increasing the level of safety
Streamlining the operation
reducing the negative impact on the environment
AN EXPLAINER IN ULTRASONIC TECHNOLOGY
Sonication works by generating small bubbles in the air around the patient. This technique compresses and expands whatever solution it’s immersed in by employing ultrasonic waves, which are sound waves that have a frequency that is far beyond that of the human ear’s ability to perceive.
Due of the high-pitched and inaudible frequency, bubbles in the solution are created by nature, which inflate and then collapse when they are released. According to one source, this is referred to as a “violent collapse,” which is scientifically known as cavitation. Eventually, this relentless microscopic activity causes the cellular walls to crumble and break down. As a result, the contents of the cell — including cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds — are washed away into the solution.
The efficiency of ultrasonic technology in cannabis extraction is influenced by a number of factors, including temperature, time, solvent, and frequency. The effect of tinkering with these variables is that the nanoparticle size and extraction time change.
ULTRASONIC EMULSIFICATION, ALSO KNOWN AS NANOEMULSION TECHNOLOGY, IS A TECHNOLOGY FOR IMMULSIFICATION.
Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC are known to have low bioavailability in their natural state. When cannabis are eaten orally (via the digestive tract), the human body only absorbs a little amount of the cannabinoids. It is also important to note that the molecules are hydrophobic, which means they do not mix well with water. This is one of the reasons why cannabis-infused beverages have taken so long to become popularity.
Ultrasonic emulsification not only increases the bioavailability of cannabis, but it also improves the dispersion of cannabinoids in water. When cannabinoids are subjected to ultrasonic frequencies, they decompose into tiny particles ranging in size from one to one hundred nanometers in size. Emulsification with these new nanoparticles is clear and stable due to their ability to travel effortlessly between the water molecules.
Cannabis drink companies are embracing this technology in order to create cannabis drinks that are clear, correctly emulsified, and visually appealing. It’s likely that one of your favorite THC-infused beverages makes use of ultrasonic technology to ensure that the cannabinoids are thoroughly incorporated into the composition. Additionally, nano CBD is one of the most recent trends in the burgeoning CBD business, with nearly every major producer currently offering at least one nanoemulsion formulation.
SONICATION AS A TECHNOLOGY FOR EXTRACTION THAT IS FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT
However, ultrasonic technology has the potential to provide producers with much more than merely enhanced emulsification. This method starts with the traditional solvent-based procedures and then improves on them in several ways.
Starting with the fact that sonic extraction employs significantly lower temperatures than other, more traditional methods of extraction, it helps to protect many of the more volatile chemicals found in cannabis. If the parameters are set correctly, it also takes substantially less time and delivers a significantly higher yield than older technologies when the parameters are set correctly.
Several recent papers have investigated the efficiency, speed, and yields of ultrasonic technology for cannabis extraction, as well as the effectiveness of other extraction methods. Ultrasonic extraction has been found to provide significant benefits in nearly every investigation conducted to date.
An ultrasonic extraction was compared to a more typical extraction in one of the more interesting examples from 2018. Charu Agarwal, Katalin Math, and colleagues conducted the study.
During the experiment, 2.5 mg of plant material was introduced into several methanol solutions to see how it would react. The control preparation was constantly being stirred by the researchers. One of the solutions was treated with a probe sonicator set to 20 kHz, whereas the other was not. Following stirring and sonication, each preparation was placed in an oven to allow the solvent to evaporate completely. The residual extraction was then subjected to further examination by the researchers.
The researchers discovered that the sonication sample produced “noticeably higher values” in each area tested (phenols, flavonoids, ferric reducing ability of plasma, and cannabis yield), compared to the control sample. However, the most significant finding was that “ultrasound significantly increased the extraction of cannabinoids found in Cannabis.”
It is claimed that “sonic extraction thoroughly infuses all cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids into any carrier oil in minutes with efficiency exceeding 95%,” as stated by Sound Extractions. According to Sound, this process can yield concentrations of up to 10% of total cannabinoids by weight in the final product. Some of the many reasons why producers are adopting this technology across the extractive sector include the significant increases in yield and efficiency.
A NEW GENERATION OF CANNABIS EXTRACTION IS ON THE WAY: SONICATION.
Processors are gaining an advantage over their competitors through the use of cutting-edge technologies such as ultrasonic extraction. In some of the most established areas in the United States, extraction sales are expected to grow by 40% in 2020.
Extractors and processors are constantly looking for new methods to reduce costs, increase yields, and offer the high-quality, full-spectrum product that consumers want. Sonication has the potential to become the next industry standard in a short period of time.
Sonic 1 Extraction System is a high-performance extraction system.
It is priced at $14,000 and does not require any post-processing! This means that your final oil or butter will be full-spectrum and will be able to be used straight in a consumer-ready product after processing. Aside from producing high-quality oils that can be used immediately, the machine also produces a water-soluble solution from flowers or extracts, which can be added to beverages, gummies, and other topicals with relative ease.