DISCLAIMER: Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising. Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular hemp-derived products.
Centrifuges are an indispensable part of any well-stocked laboratory and impact several more sectors of industry than one might think. Centrifuges are sensitive pieces of equipment that use centrifugal force to separate liquids, gasses and all manner of other fluids based on density.
The centrifuge works by rotating at incredibly high speeds. The force generated can reach up to several thousand times that of Earth’s gravity. This has many unique applications that benefit several sectors including the food processing, mining, pharmaceutical, biofuel, wastewater treatment, and hemp extraction industry.
Centrifuge Extraction Experiment
To feel the force of centrifugation on the human body, grab a solid object the size of an orange and begin spinning, while keeping it at arm’s length. As you reach higher speeds, you’ll begin to feel the pull of that object on your arm.
Let go of the object and it will fly off in a straight line.
Having successfully performed the experiment above, you would have felt two forces at play. Both equal and opposite in nature. The first is a force generated by spinning; velocity and the second is the pull you feel on your arm, commonly known as centripetal force.
The latter is the key factor that determines how a centrifuge works as it directs an object towards a center of curvature.
Two Ways to Tango
At Abundant Labs we have honed our processes, specializing in extraction of biological materials that now extend further than just hemp. Still, there exists two ways in which industrial centrifuges can be used.
A solid bowl with no perforations, is known as a sedimentation centrifuge, a category that includes disc stack and decanter centrifuges. The centrifuge extraction process here is defined by the solid matter clinging to the wall or floor, while liquids are ejected through a designated passage. Industries where this type of extraction process is most effective range from wastewater treatment to oil drilling.
FIltration centrifuges take the form of a basket with perforations; a recurring theme, to allow liquids to pass though as it completes several rotations. This is closer to the experiment we performed earlier. Large pieces of solid matter too big to pass through the holes, will naturally be broken down as the centrifuge begins to speed up. This is a faster way to destroy the already weak hydrogen bonds allowing these particles to cling together.
Industries where this type of extraction process is most effective range from the chemical process of producing salt to the separation of crystallized sugars from your favorite brand of maple syrup.
While Abundant Labs relies on centrifuges for the natural product extraction for regulatory starting material, we also don’t want to lose expertise in cannabis/hemp extraction. As you have now learned about integral the centrifugal extraction process is to a wide range of industries, we look forward to experimenting with further developments in centrifuge extraction for use with API synthesis.
If you’re interested in learning more about newer methods for obtaining CBD isolates and other products or just curious about the equipment we use, take a look at our website and blog.