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The great internet states that butane boils around 40F. So my thought is that if I put the butane in a refrigerator, or better yet a freezer, more of the butane will remain liquid while running through the extraction tube, therefore pulling more cannabinoids per can of butane (compared to starting with room temperature butane).
I.e. Put can of butane in freezer, then extract and evaporate.
Would this result in a more efficient extraction? Or is there an advantage to room temp butane (not considering evaporation time)?
Oh I understand why higher temps increase solvency, I just figured that, upon release, some butane would turn into a gas, thereby cooling the remaining liquid butane to below 40 deg F (otherwise it too would become gaseous under standard atmospheric pressure). If the butane were to start at say 35 degrees F (refrigerator temp), then more of it would stay liquid and dissolve the resins. Am I wrong assuming the butane only works in the liquid phase?
Yes, you can use gas to extract things. Just keep the extraction cyclinder at like 35F and that way you don't have to overly cool th butane and it will stay liquid until it leaves the cyclinder.
n-butane has a boiling point of -.5oC which is 31.1oF
when butane is pressurized (in the can) it has a much higher boiling point, and so it can be liquid inside the can at room temperature. When the butane is released from the can, the pressure inside the can drops and the boiling point begins to lower, and the liquid butane begins to boil.
The phase change from liquid to gas absorbs crap-tons of energy (386 kilojoules of energy per kilogram of butane, or the amount of energy that a 1000W light uses in about 20 minutes per kilogram, or 1.6 Liters of liquid butane) Since there is no immediate source of heat for the vaporizing butane, the heat is absorbed from the butane itself, and the temperature of the vaporized gas and the surrounding liquid butane drops, until the temperature drops to the saturation temperature at the pressure surrounding the fluid.
When the fluid is at standard atmospheric pressure (1 atmosphere, 101.325 KPa, 14.7 psia, etc.) The saturation temperature of butane is 31.1oF, that means that when you spray butane into an extraction tube, if there is liquid butane coming out of the other end, then it is at or below 31.1oF, no exceptions. The only way to have warmer liquid butane is to have the entire extraction process happening in a closed, pressurized container.
So, if one puts a canister of butane in the freezer and can get the butane at or below 31.1oF, then you will not waste as much butane in the vaporization/journey to the saturation temp...and get more liquid butane than you would if you used a canister at room temp. It should also be noted that if the can is at or just below 31.1oF, the liquid butane coming from that can will be just as effective at extracting THC from plant material as liquid butane coming from a can at room temp, assuming that all the liquid butane ends up in a bowl or other collecting apparatus at atmospheric pressure.
Also, people should stop using the term "super critical butane" because it is not super critical, its a saturated liquid. In order to get super critical butane you would need to have the butane to stay at a constant pressure and temperature of at least 37.96 bar (3796 KPa, 37.5 atmospheres, 550.5 psi, etc.) and 152oC (305.6oF) throughout the entire extraction and collection process, and then cool the super critical fluid to below the critical points and allow the liquid/gas mixture to evaporate and leave behind the extract. However, at that point you might as well just build an apparatus and use super critical CO2 if ur gonna go though the trouble. The only reason people use butane is because its easy to get, can be easily used as a liquid if done properly, and evaporates quickly, but deep down its just the same as a hexane extraction, or if you could get it pentane would work too, its all just alkane solvent extractions.
Anyway, there is my two cents on the behavior of butane, I for one think its a good idea to put butane in the freezer before using it bc it will save you butane and money in the long run. If you have any more questions or ideas feel free to ask.
Peace, agmotes165
-------------------- “The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
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