Prescott P 1000 MULTI-STAGE

Combining molecular distillation with post-processing elements, the Prescott Multi Stage is the first instrument to provide fully continuous operation of otherwise batch-to-batch processes. With seamless PLC integration, starting material will undergo solvent recovery, decarboxylation, and two subsequent distillation passes to produce pure distillate at your desired potency. This production plant effectively minimizes human error, transfer loss, and diversion with an automated system.

In an effort to deliver a true “turnkey” solution sector, Prescott Logic has developed a truly novel solution for processing. The Prescott MS1000 combines elements of post processing in line with molecular distillation. With seamless PLC integration, we combine the processes of solvent recovery, decarboxylation, and then 2 subsequent passes of the crude material through molecular stills. The Multi Stage is the very first instrument that provides continuous operation of otherwise batch to batch processes. This production plant effectively minimizes human error, transfer loss, and diversion with an automated process. This allows for a clean and efficient process to take the place of a typical winterization procedure, which is can be very messy and quite dangerous for the operator.

Given the high variability in the constituents of, it is important that the end user of the Multi Stage, it is still imperative that the user is highly knowledgeable of the overall process. Whereas the Multi Stage was designed for true turnkey operation, purchasers must work closely with Prescott to ensure that these 4 steps outlined below occur in steady tandem.

1. Solvent Recovery– The process of winterization typically is achieved by adding volumes a polar solvent like ethanol to the crude extracted oil. This mixture is then fully homogenized and placed in a freezer at -40C or lower for 24-48 hours, after which the solution is filtered to remove unwanted fats and waxes that precipitate out of solution and can be quickly filtered (sub micron pore size). Generally, 10 times the volume of ethanol is added, but some operators report success with only 5 times the volume. The selected volume of ethanol for winterization is a critical decision to ensure that this first step is handled efficiently. The goal of this step is to minimize, if not eliminate, the reliance on rotary evaporators which are effective in a slow and discontinuous fashion.

2. Decarboxylation- In the plant, the phytocannabinoids exist in their acid form (THCa) for biological activity. For mammals, it is imperative that these molecules are first activated- that is, the carboxylic acid group (COOH) of the phytocannabinoids is released from the molecule with the introduction of heat. Of note, despite reports of therapeutic benefit from the acid forms of the cannabinoids, for the purpose of distillation the material must be fully decarboxylated. The second stage of the MS system is a heater reactor vessel under light vacuum with an overhead stirrer to maximize the exposure of molecules to activation. Some groups elect to decarboxylate the dried plant material prior to extraction to maximize their processing efficiency without a concern over terpene profiles that are dramatically altered by such a process. Prescott prefers to decarboxylate the oil as it has uniform consistency and requires ~1/10th of the energy required to do so at the front end.

3. Pass 1 – When oil is processed with high throughput, the common approach is to perform 2 individual passes of the material with different conditions. The first pass uses lighter vacuum and less heat to vaporize the terpenes, residual ethanol, and other “lighter” molecules that would otherwise contaminate a vacuum pump. When users have only a single still, they must pass the material to remove this light fraction, then increase heat and drop vacuum for the second pass to make distillate. To eliminate the down time between passes, the Multi Stage is equipped with 2 molecular stills for each respective pass.

TECHNICAL DATA

*Operation dependent on parameters and proper post-processing of material

BASE SYSTEM COMPONENTS

ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS

SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS

CONDITIONS