Process for separating a constituent/cannabinoid using a chromatographic resin
A method for purification and separation of cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, e.g., from dried hemp and cannabis leaves can use a continuous simulated moving bed process, a batch column chromatography method, or a single column, and a combination of one or more of a sequence of purification steps including: filtration, decolorization, activation or decarboxylation, dewaxing, polishing, and crystallization to separate a cannabinoid from the cannabis plant and to provide various cannabinoid products. The cannabinoid products can be used in various pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
1. A method of separating a cannabinoid of a cannabis plant using simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography, the cannabis plant including the cannabinoid and at least one impurity, the method comprising:
preparing a feedstock stream from the cannabis plant, the feedstock stream including the cannabinoid, at least one impurity, and a solvent, and
passing the feedstock stream through a chromatographic resin arranged in a simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography configuration to provide a primary raffinate stream,
wherein the primary raffinate stream has a higher purity of the cannabinoid than in the feedstock stream as measured by weight percentage of the solid content, and
wherein the chromatographic resin comprises a hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cannabinoid is CBD, CBDA, or a mixture thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one impurity comprises at least one of waxes, lipids, pigments, and mixtures thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one impurity comprises a second cannabinoid selected from cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedstock stream comprises a hemp extract, a decolorized hemp extract, a decolorized and decarboxylated hemp extract, or any combination thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises water, ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, methanol, propanol, or a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises ethanol.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has:
(i) an average particle diameter of from about 25 microns to about 600 microns,
(ii) an average bulk density of from about 0.4 g/mL to about 0.9 g/mL,
(iii) an average water content of from about 55% to about 65%,
(iv) an average surface area of from about 450 m 2 /g to about 550 m 2 /g,
(v) an average pore volume of from about 0.7 mL/g to about 0.9 mL/g,
(vi) from about 4% to about 8% crosslinking, or
(vii) any combination thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cannabinoid is CBD, CBDA, or a mixture thereof.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said at least one impurity comprises at least one of waxes, lipids, pigments, and mixtures thereof.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said at least one impurity comprises a second cannabinoid selected from cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), and combinations thereof.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feedstock stream comprises a hemp extract, a decolorized hemp extract, a decolorized and decarboxylated hemp extract, or any combination thereof.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises water, ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, methanol, propanol, or a combination thereof.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises ethanol.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average particle diameter of from about 25 microns to about 300 microns.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average particle diameter of from about 250 microns to about 600 microns.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average bulk density of from about 0.4 g/mL to about 0.6 g/mL.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average bulk density of from about 0.6 g/mL to about 0.9 g/mL.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average water content of from about 55% to about 65%.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average surface area of from about 450 m 2 /g to about 550 m 2 /g.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average pore volume of from about 0.7 mL/g to about 0.9 mL/g.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has from about 4% to about 8% crosslinking.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary raffinate has less than 1 wt. % of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) based on the amount of the cannabinoid.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary raffinate has less than 0.3 wt. % of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) based on the amount of the cannabinoid.
25. A method of separating at least one desired cannabinoid of a cannabis plant using simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography, the cannabis plant including the at least one desired cannabinoid and at least one impurity cannabinoid, the method comprising:
preparing a feedstock stream from the cannabis plant, the feedstock stream including the at least one desired cannabinoid, at least one impurity cannabinoid, and a solvent, and
passing the feedstock stream through a chromatographic resin arranged in a simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography configuration to provide a primary raffinate stream,
wherein the primary raffinate stream has a reduced amount of the at least one impurity cannabinoid relative to the feedstock stream as measured by weight percentage of the solid content, and
wherein the chromatographic resin comprises a hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one desired cannabinoid is CBD, CBDA, or a mixture thereof.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one impurity cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), or a mixture thereof.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the feedstock stream comprises a hemp extract, a decolorized hemp extract, a decolorized and decarboxylated hemp extract, or any combination thereof.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises water, ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, methanol, propanol, or a combination thereof.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises ethanol.
31. The method of claim 25 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has:
(i) an average particle diameter of from about 25 microns to about 600 microns,
(ii) an average bulk density of from about 0.4 g/mL to about 0.9 g/mL,
(iii) an average water content of from about 55% to about 65%,
(iv) an average surface area of from about 450 m 2 /g to about 550 m 2 /g,
(v) an average pore volume of from about 0.7 mL/g to about 0.9 mL/g,
(vi) from about 4% to about 8% crosslinking, or
(vii) any combination thereof.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the at least one desired cannabinoid is CBD, CBDA, or a mixture thereof.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the at least one impurity cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), or a mixture thereof.
34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the feedstock stream comprises a hemp extract, a decolorized hemp extract, a decolorized and decarboxylated hemp extract, or any combination thereof.
35. The method of claim 31 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises water, ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, methanol, propanol, or a combination thereof.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the solvent of the feedstock stream comprises ethanol.
37. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average particle diameter of from about 25 microns to about 300 microns.
38. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average particle diameter of from about 250 microns to about 600 microns.
39. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average bulk density of from about 0.4 g/mL to about 0.6 g/mL.
40. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average bulk density of from about 0.6 g/mL to about 0.9 g/mL.
41. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average water content of from about 55% to about 65%.
42. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average surface area of from about 450 m 2 /g to about 550 m 2 /g.
43. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has an average pore volume of from about 0.7 mL/g to about 0.9 mL/g.
44. The method of claim 31 , wherein the hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene adsorbent has from about 4% to about 8% crosslinking.
45. The method of claim 31 , wherein the primary raffinate has less than 1 wt. % of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) as measured by weight percentage of the solid content.
46. The method of claim 31 , wherein the primary raffinate has less than 0.3 wt. % of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) as measured by weight percentage of the solid content.