Basics of Butane Extraction
There are many beneficial uses to fossil fuels as naturally occurring materials. A fossil fuel that is beneficial for extraction uses is butane. This hydrocarbon has the molecular formula of C4H10. A hydrocarbon is a compound that has carbon and hydrogen. These elements in the compound are what makes butane extraction a highly-preferred process by the chemical industry.
Here are a few properties of this gas:
- odorless (gasoline)
- colorless – liquid gas (stored under pressure)
- gas (natural gas)
- fossil fuel
- alkane
Butane Extraction Process
This gas is good for extracting things such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) from cannabinoid compounds. The specific process of this can be broken down into several steps. In this process, butane is used to extract the THC using an extraction tube. The steps are as follows:
- Material to start with (Cannabis) – In this process, the start material, which in this case would be cannabis, is broken down and put into a glass container for extraction.
- Solvent is added – This step is where the gas/solvent is added. The gas is what passes through the cannabis and releases the THC from the plant matter.
- Purging – Like its name, this step is important because it is to remove the residual gas. Typically for this process a vacuum is used to remove any of the remaining gas. This is one of the most important steps of the extraction process because it determines the shape and purity of the final product.
- Extract/Extra processing – Finally, the excess undesirable materials can be removed with the use of another solvent, ethanol. This solvent is what allows a “double” purification process.
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