Liquefied gas extraction technology was developed in 2004 for the pharmacy, food, and perfume industries. Shortly after that, the cannabis industry expressed an overwhelming interest in our technology to better enable them to purify their cannabinoids and terpenes.

We offer two standard system options and the option to custom configure a system. The standard systems differ in size and extraction capacity. Large scale industrial systems can be custom built to spec.

Non-destructive cannabis extraction systems:

• 20 L to 1000 L vessels= extractions to 8000 lb/day
• Uses room temperature to process the material
• Use a fraction of the energy CO2 competitors use
• Can handle fragile natural ingredients
• No degradation
• Process does not produce bi-products
• Extraction from fresh flowers
• Terpene profile native to the original cultivator is preserved
• Terpenes are concentrated in an unaltered state
• Yields the highest terpene concentration compared to all other methods
• Yields the highest purity of cannabinoids
• Extraction process is low pressure, about 30psi
• This is a non-polar fluorocarbon solvent
• Full cycle takes less than an hour and is quicker and safer
• Used in Europe for over 20 years
• Solvent is recognized by the FDA as being safe and is commonly used in aerosols as an agent for oral drug delivery
• Lower cap cost
• No fire hazards
• No residue in final product
• Faster
• Less expensive to operate compared to all other methods
• No special safety requirements

Icon Scientific can help you understand the important considerations in the equipment selection process. Our non-destructive cannabis extraction systems have unlimited advantages. Liquefied gas extraction technology is a 20 year old proven technology. This technology is a game changer because it is technically advanced, safer, faster and more cost efficient. It is process oriented and provides the highest quality output. We pride ourselves on your results. Extraction system decisions directly impact your success in cannabis extraction.

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High efficiency COMPACT Preparative Chromatography System.

• 4 Channel 
• Scanning 
• 200-800
• 250 ml/min
• 4,351 psi

System includes:

• UV-Vis DAD detector 
• Preparative gradient pump
• Automatic injection valve
• Fraction collector 

The FLASH 250 Detector 

• Measures four (4) wavelengths simultaneously 
• Spectral scanning 
• Can handle 10-50 millimeter diameter ID columns 

Flash Chromatography is a purification technique not an analytical tool like HPLC or UHPLC. Flash has been around for decades and was primarily used for pharmaceutical drug discovery R & D. Flash chromatography was used when a medicinal or organic chemist synthesized a new drug molecule. Before the chemist could study the compound of interest, they needed to purify or “clean up” the compound. The crude reaction mixture passes through a flash chromatography column in a “flash”. The pure drug compound is then isolated by selective elution. Flash Chromatography is a very effective purification technique and is still considered the primary purification technique used in R & D for the Pharmaceutical industry today.

Flash Chromatography is a type of preparative liquid chromatography. Flash Chromatography may be referred to as column chromatography or medium pressure Chromatography. Flash Chromatography is a special type of column chromatography. The FLASH 50 and FLASH 250 are capable of doing both preparative Flash Chromatography and preparative HPLC on the same system. Flash Chromatography is a preparative liquid chromatography method that easily and quickly separates organic compounds.

In chemistry, column chromatography is a chromatography method that is used to isolate a single chemical compound from a mixture. Flash Chromatography does just that, it purifies individual chemical compounds from a mixture of compounds. Flash Chromatography is most commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry for drug discovery, peptide and antibiotic purification, sample clean-up, early stage drug discovery, protein analysis, natural product analysis and more recently cannabis and hemp analysis.

Column chromatography techniques are implemented to separate steroids, hormones, vitamins alkaloids, cannabis and hemp. Column chromatography is also used to determine the amounts of those substances in samples of body fluids. Therefore, Flash Chromatography is an efficient method of extracting and purifying cannabis and hemp. There is an overwhelming need for a higher purity products. These techniques isolate cannabinoids and can further purify extracted cannabis raw materials.

Even though Flash Chromatography is a “medium pressure chromatography” both the FLASH 50 and the FLASH 250 systems can handle up to 4,351 psi. Flash Chromatography is a rapid method of column chromatography. It is called “flash” because it is a rapid method of column chromatography. Flash chromatography is high resolution chromatography. The solvent is pumped through a packed column at high flow rates. The sample loading capacity impacts yield and purity. While higher loads improve yield, they may diminish purity and lower loads may improve purity but possibly reduce yield.

Flash Chromatography is a very successful technique for those needing to purify cannabis and hemp extracts in order to remove impurities and isolate or separate individual cannabinoids. Flash Chromatography is also being used to isolate and purify cannabinoids for use in edible products.

An automated purification system includes a UV/VIS DAD Detector, a preparative gradient pump, automatic injection valve and a fraction collector. All of these components are controlled by a touch panel. There are two Flash Chromatography modes, normal-phase and reverse-phase. The phases have different separation mechanisms depending on your purification goals. Normal phase works well when separating compounds with significantly different polarities. It is often used to remove unwanted co-extractants and polar co-extracted impurities.

Flash Chromatography can be used as the front end of a CPC (Centrifugal Partition Chromatography) system. The cannabis and hemp processing industry needs to purify cannabis and hemp extracts in order to remove impurities an isolate/ separate individual cannabinoids. Flash Chromatography is one of the most successful methods used to achieve accurate, fast results. Icon Scientific offers many solutions to improve your cannabis and hemp purifications and analysis. We are happy to discuss your applications and assist you in configuring the best technique and system to meet your chromatography needs.

Advantages:

• FLASH 50 and FLASH 250 can do both FLASH Chromatography and traditional HPLC on the same system
• HPLC backpressure capability to handle flash columns and preparative HPLC columns
• FAST (In a FLASH)
• Ability to use either normal or reverse phase
• Can use bonded phases to modify elution profiles
• Versatile
• High flow rates like traditional HPLC
• Proven and reliable

Uses:

• Any traditional HPLC application
• Purification of natural products (vitamins, vegetable dyes, dietary supplements)
• Isolation and purification of pharmaceutical drugs
• Isolation and purification of cannabinoids (cannabis and hemp)
• Isolation and purification of cannabinoids for use in edible products
• A preparative HPLC that can be used for any preparative HPLC techniques

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This AZURA Analytical system is dedicated for the analysis of six common cannabinoids of high medicinal interest. Cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA) can easily be quantified according to the monography of German Pharmacopeia.

The applied method is verified using authorized medicinal cannabis flower samples available on the market. The substances were analysed with the help of chemical reference standards.

This system features a AZURA P 6.1L LPG pump, an Autosampler AS 6.1L, a column thermostat CT 2.1 and an MWD 2.1L UV/VIS detector 

• The AZURA P 6.1L with an LPG configuration features a new LPG valve for the most precise blending efficiency. The internal degassing unit will prevent air bubbles in the system. Every AZURA P 6.1L comes with an attached mixing chamber, which can be changed to a larger volume depending on the needs of the application.
• The MWD 2.1L is an 8 channel, sensitive multiwavelength detector combining high performance with easy handling at an affordable price. A novel light path and flow cell architecture with improved handling and excellent performance make this device suited for a wide range of application tasks. The frontal lamp and cell change ensures easy and secure maintenance. The temperature controlled optical bench minimizes signal drift.
• The Autosampler 6.1L can inject 0.1 – 5000 µl to have a large flexibility. Using standard vials or two microtiter plates will give you a maximum sample capacity of up to 768 samples or 108 vials.
• The AZURA CT 2.1 is the new price attractive basic column thermostat. It is suitable for column thermostatization above and below room temperature. The instrument operates with a microprocessor controlled Peltier element for exact temperature settings.

TECHNICAL DATA

Analytical system

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The AZURA Cannabis Purifier is a dedicated preparative system to purify cannabinoids from cannabis extracts. The HPLC layout consists of a pump with ternary LPG valve block and a HPLC docking station equipped with a variable single wavelength UV detector an injection and a fractionation valve for 11 fractions and waste. The system is designed for method development und small volumes of sample in a flow rate range between 10 to 80 ml/min at maximum 400 bar. The system is controlled by the intuitive and touch-optimized Mobile Control, which is installed on a tablet. The software has a simple function for threshold based fractionation. Depending on the value of the detector signal the target substances/peaks are collected automatically. The purification of CBD from a cannabinoid oil is shown exemplarily.

Due to its modular design, the system can be easily up scaled to higher flow rates by simply replacing the pump head, valves, flow cell and capillaries. The basic devices do not need to be replaced. The next scale-up level allows flow rates up to 200 ml/min at 200 bar. The 1/16″ capillaries are exchanged for 1/8″ capillaries. Higher sample volumes are injected via a channel of the gradient pump. The modules of the HPLC docking station and the valves are exchanged within minutes and allow to flexibly adapt the system to changing purification tasks.

Technical Data

System specification

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Extracting high-purity pharmaceutical active ingredients from natural products at high yields is a major challenge. This also applies to the cannabinoid sector. Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) chromatography, as a continuous LC method, sets the standard for productivity, purity and yield.

This AZURA SMB pilot system “Cannabis Producer” is dedicated for the continuous production of cannabinoids from cannabis. The Cannabis Producer allows the continuous separation of mixtures of substances and extraction into two fractions. High purities and simultaneous yields of up to 100% distinguish this process from conventional preparative LC methods.

The system features four preparative Pump 2.1L and seven multi-position valves integrated into four AZURA Assistans ASM 2.2L

• The three system pumps are equipped with 500 ml/min stainless steel pump heads, enabling volume flows of up to 250 ml/min inside the SMB cycle. The feed pump works with a 100 ml pump head and can thus also precisely dose the feed in the low flow range.
• The seven multi-position valves, operated by the valve unifier VU 4.1, are made of stainless steel and are equipped with connections for 1/8″ pipes. The Valve Unifier VU 4.1, integrated in the ASM 2.2L provides the newest technology to our SMB systems. The smart valve drive features automatic valve recognition and adjusts torque and switching speed specifically for each valve. This RFID technology enables to read GLP data, for example the maintenance of the rotor seal exchange is simplified by automatic notifications.
• The new plug-in design of the ASM 2.2L allows the modules to be removed by loosening just four screws, enabling the user to quickly exchange the modules. Especially in production processes the downtime of a system in case of service needs to be minimized.
• The PurityChrom® MCC control software provides an intuitive and easy operating of the SMB. PurityChrom® MCC offers the possibility to independently record, store, monitor, and process error messages, warnings of level meter as well as several detector signals (UV, RI), flowmeters and other signals via analog inputs. The software complies with 21 CFR Part 11.
• The Pilot SMB system includes four flowmeters. Flow rate accuracy in all SMB zones and the feed stream is recorded for each cycle. The use of four flowmeters allows a complete real-time monitoring of the entire SMB process so that the user can directly react to deviations of the flow rates.
• As a complete system, the Cannabis Producer will be pre-installed on a table with the dimensions 1300 x 870 x 1000 mm  (WxDxH). Every device and capillaries are fixed and therefor well structured. Additional components i.e. flowmeters are also integrable. The product streams and the column in and outlets are placed user friendly outside the table ensuring a fast and easy connection via tube fittings. The easy cleanable stainless-steel surface, antistatic wheels and leakage tubs fulfils main requirements for production areas. The AZURA SMB Pilot System can be easily transferred by the customer inside or between different production sides due to the moveable design.

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As regulations strengthen, farmers, processors, and labs need portable, user friendly potency testing solutions. Cannabis & hemp testing is becoming critically important and an integral part of being able to determine product potency and safety.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is the industry standard or gold standard for cannabinoid potency testing. It is the most accurate and reliable method to measure cannabis components. HPLC is the acceptable standard used by certified contract labs.

ICON Scientific’s ANSER is your solution for cannabis potency and purity testing. The ANSER is the only true HPLC based analyzer. We are committed to supplying growers, processors, dispensaries, laboratories, and product developers with HPLC solutions for accurate and reproducible cannabis and hemp analysis.

The ANSER is a portable, easy-to-use potency and purity analyzer for the cannabis and hemp industry. No chemistry or chromatography knowledge is required to operate this analyzer. The ANSER is always precise, accurate and reproducible. The fully portable ANSER allows you to test the potency of samples in the field or in the lab.

The ANSER is not only portable, but a miniaturized, turn-key HPLC solution. It has all the performance of a benchtop HPLC without the size. The ANSER includes a column, mobile phase, certified standards and methods.

The ANSER analyzer provides an immediate answer.

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