Post Processing Powders

Post Processing Powders

, by Mike Pabich, 3 min reading time

Post processing powders are used to remove unwanted substances from your final product. Different substances can be used to target different substances, such as pesticides and plant lipids. Each powder can be used in different stages of post processing.

Post Processing Powders:

Mag-Sil Absorbant, Clay Bleach Mineral, Celite 545 Diatomaceous Earth, Activated charcoal

Post processing powders are used to remove unwanted substances from your final product. Different substances can be used to target different substances, such as pesticides and plant lipids. Each powder can be used in different stages of post processing.

Filtration

In the Filtration stage, you will use a Büchner funnel in conjunction with the powder. The Büchner funnel will have a fritted disk or filtration paper to use a base, and you will use activated charcoal and/or Celite 545 to form layers on top of the filtration media. These products will help to remove flavors, colors, chemicals, and pesticides.

Chromatography

While performing column chromatography, Mag-Sil and clay bleach can be used to remove impurities and color during chromatography. Mag-Sil can also be used for separation of fats/lipids based on particle size.

Distillation

When starting distillation, all the activated charcoal, Celite 545, and Mag-Sil should be removed with the appropriate micron sized filter paper or disk. At this point, Clay Bleach can be added to the material to be processed to remove chlorophyll, which is the main source of a darker color, from the final product. Clay Bleach will also remove any heavy metals and sulfides that are present in the material.

Mag-Sil

Activated magnesium silicate used for removal of pesticides, color, improve clarity. Binds to polar/water soluble compounds.

Mag-Sil is an adsorbent for the separation of lipids and is a commercially prepared magnesia-silica gel. Mag-Sil has a coarse mesh size which helps with rapid flow rate for column chromatography. It's main benefit is pesticide removal from extracted plant material and will dramatically improve the color and clarity of the material. Doing this prevents oxidation by removing color It also has the provided benefit to bind to polar water-soluble compounds which can be filtered out through a 20-micron mesh screen. Comes in a 100-gram container and is white, powdery, and granular in its consistency.

Clay Bleach

Sigma-Aldrich Fuller's Earth also known as Clay Bleach Mineral or C-Bleach is a filtration aid used in refining and increasing the purity and clarity of the final product. Clay Bleach can also be used to remove heavy metals, chlorophyll, and sulfides from the material also any other water-soluble contaminants.

Celite 545

Celite 545 is a formulation of Diatomaceous Earth that is used as a filtration aid for the pre-processing of distillate. Diatomaceous earth is considered as skeletal remains of single-celled algae/diatoms formed due to sedimentary deposits. This filtration aid is used in laboratory settings and is a surface-active filtration agent which causes abrasion and the adsorption of other materials such as plant lipids. Celite 545 or Diatomaceous Earth is an effective alternative to chemical pesticides. This powder is sold in a 150g plastic container and is an ultra-fine powder that should be used with the proper safety equipment and should not be inhaled because it may cause respiratory damage.

Activated Charcoal/carbon

Sigma-Aldrich Activated Charcoal powder is some of the highest purity and quality activated charcoal on the market. Activated charcoal can be used for several processes in the laboratory and can be most importantly used for the removal of color, unwanted chemical impurities, and unwanted flavors in the starting material resulting in a more refined purer end substance.

-must be removed before short path distillation

Tags


Blog posts

  • BVV Announces Launch of Neocision Spectra LED Grow Lights

    , by BVV Team BVV Announces Launch of Neo...

    Read more 

  • LED Grow Light Design In A Cultivation Facility

    , by BVV Team LED Grow Light Design In A ...

    Read more 

  • How Spectral Light Quality Impacts Plant Growth

    , by BVV Team How Spectral Light Quality ...

    Read more 

Login

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account yet?
Create account