When it comes to botanical extractions - whether for cannabis, hemp, essential oils, nutraceuticals, or pharmaceuticals - one size does not fit all. Different compounds have different chemical properties, which means they require specific pressure and temperature conditions during extraction.
For example:
- Delicate terpenes (responsible for aroma and flavor) can degrade at high temperatures.
- Cannabinoids like CBD or THC require higher pressures to be efficiently extracted.
- Other organic compounds may sit somewhere in between, demanding a fine balance of both parameters.
If an extraction system does not support a broad operational range, producers risk:
- Loss of sensitive compounds due to overheating.
- Incomplete extraction, where valuable cannabinoids remain uncollected.
- Inconsistent yields across different raw materials.
- Inflexibility, limiting the ability to expand into new products or markets.
The Buffalo Extraction Systems Solution
Buffalo Extraction Systems designed their Lab-Level CO₂ Extraction machine to provide exactly this flexibility. Their system operates across a wide spectrum of pressure and temperature ranges, enabling producers to tailor extraction conditions to the specific compounds they’re targeting.
1. Pressure Range: 350–650 Bar
- CO₂ behaves very differently under different pressures.
- At lower pressures, it extracts lighter compounds like terpenes.
- At higher pressures, it efficiently extracts cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.
- Benefit: One CO₂ extraction system can handle everything from fragrance-rich extracts to potent cannabinoid concentrates.
2. Temperature Range: 70–110 °C
- Heat-sensitive compounds (like terpenes) require lower temperatures to prevent degradation.
- More robust compounds may need higher temperatures to be efficiently dissolved in supercritical CO₂.
- Benefit: Protects delicate molecules while maximizing yield of stronger compounds.
3. Recipe-Based Control for Flexibility
- Having wide ranges is useful, but what makes Buffalo unique is its Intuitive Intelligence system.
- Operators can create custom recipes that define the exact pressure, temperature, and flow rate needed for each compound or material type.
- These recipes can be saved, repeated, and scaled, ensuring consistent outputs even when raw materials vary.
Benefit: Flexibility doesn’t mean trial-and-error — it’s smart, repeatable, and optimized.
4. Scaling from Lab to Industrial Systems
- The Lab-Level system’s 2.5 kg batch capacity allows operators to test recipes at different pressure-temperature conditions before moving to industrial-scale production.
- Test terpenes at lower temperatures.
- Optimize cannabinoid extraction at higher pressures.
- Validate recipes under regulated, cGMP-compliant conditions.
- Once validated, these recipes can be directly transferred to larger Buffalo industrial systems, making scaling seamless.
- Benefit: Producers don’t just experiment — they prepare for commercial success.
Why This Matters
The ability to handle diverse extraction needs in one system is what sets Buffalo apart. With their wide pressure and temperature ranges, plus recipe-driven controls, customers gain:
- Versatility: One system for multiple products.
- Consistency: Reproducible results across different harvests.
- Efficiency: No wasted raw materials due to incomplete extractions.
- Market Readiness: Extracts suitable for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food, and cannabis industries.
Conclusion
So, what kind of pressure and temperature ranges does a lab-level system need to handle diverse extractions?
The answer is clear: a system that offers wide, flexible ranges and the ability to fine-tune recipes for different compounds. Buffalo Extraction Systems delivers exactly that with:
- 350–650 Bar pressure range,
- 70–110 °C temperature range, and
- Recipe-based intelligent controls.
This empowers producers to extract THC, CBD, terpenes, and other high-value compounds with precision, purity, and repeatability, ensuring every batch is optimized for yield and quality.
