I concentrated an 80% ethanol extract under conditions of 50°C and a vacuum pressure of 40 mbar for 6 to 7 hours. The process endpoint was defined when the volume of the concentrate dropped to less than 10% of the initial extract volume. How can I justify that this process successfully removed 100% of the ethanol from the extract using alcohol concentration data from the condensate measured with an alcohol hydrometer?
You can justify complete ethanol removal by showing that the total ethanol mass recovered in the condensate (measured by the hydrometer) matches the initial ethanol content, combined with the concentrate volume reduction to less than 10%. This mass balance approach, supported by vacuum and temperature conditions, confirms nearly 100% ethanol evaporation.
To justify that your process successfully removed 100% of the ethanol from the extract, you can follow these steps:
- If the concentration of ethanol in the condensate decreases over time and approaches 0%, this supports the conclusion that ethanol is being effectively removed.
- If the final measurement of the condensate shows a very low or negligible concentration of ethanol (close to 0%), it substantiates that most, if not all, ethanol was removed.
- Calculate the total amount of ethanol in the extract using the initial concentration and volume.
- Calculate the amount of ethanol collected in the condensate using measurements from the hydrometer and the volume of condensate.
- If the mass of ethanol collected plus the residual ethanol in the concentrate is approximately equal to the initial mass, it indicates successful removal.
By presenting these data points and calculations, you can effectively justify the process's successful removal of 100% ethanol from the extract.
Abdelhak Maghchiche Mehrab Dashtdar would you mind to give me some papers or scientific evidence that I can cite or refer?
https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/the-evolution-of-ethanol-extraction-methods-in-cannabis
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