Is THCa Crystallization The Key to Scaling Live Resin Extraction & Cartridge Production?

by | Oct 7, 2024 | News, Resources, Resources & News

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Could techniques for THCa isolation also be the Key To Great Live Resin Carts?

In the rapidly evolving cannabis industry, THCa crystallization is emerging as a pivotal technique for enhancing commercial extract production and refinement, but what about live resin cart production? In this article we’ll uncover why these techniques are being successfully employed in live resin cartridge production to produce optimal terpene profiles and phenomenal consumer experiences overall. The methodology employs  isolating THCa, into pure crystals, thereby separating the High Terpene Extract (HTE) from the THCa. This allows for optimal terpene preservation and produces cartridges that are reliable and repeatedly formulated. This article discusses why and how to employ these techniques, stay tuned to the rest of the article.

What do Consumers Want from their Live Resin Cartridge?

Consumers and retailers are increasingly demanding products that offer both high quality and consistent experiences, and they want to associate your brand with meeting those expectations every time, consistently. Quality in this case refers to a flavourful terpene experience, high potency and low cartridge failure rates. It’s critical that the terpene to cannabinoid ratio always delivers a similar user experience. The reliability of the cartridges is also key. The Live Resin needs to be thin enough in viscosity to flow into the atomizer quickly. The product should deliver a lung expanding toke, but if viscosity is too thin, it will leak and will be returned to the retailer. Additionally, with growing pressure on profit margins, the market needs these products to deliver on value. That means that it can be produced efficiently, and at scale, while retaining the key characteristics of an artisanal cannabis concentrate.

What are the Traditional Methods for Live Resin Production?

Traditional live resin production involves extracting Fresh Frozen cannabis, using butane or propane and blends of the two as solvents, which retain the rich terpene profiles that characterize live resin. However, this method faces challenges in consistency and scalability when using traditional approaches and equipment.

What are some of the Challenges Associated with Producing Live Resin Carts?

Making great live resin carts isn’t easy. The basic challenges associated with extracting frozen plant material includes transportation, risk of thawing, and keeping the solvent very cold during extraction. There are also a unique set of challenges associated with scaling up live resin carts. These challenges can be summarized by the following bottlenecks:

  • Solvent recovery: Fresh frozen biomass contains a lot of water because it is frozen right at harvest instead of being dried. That means it also contains less THCa and terpenes per pound of biomass. Extractors need much larger throughput rates to be able to produce comparable amounts of live resin, relative to processing cured biomass. A good rule of thumb is to aim to reduce the time to turn over each column by 50% to 75%. Solvent recovery rates are the primary opportunity to tackle that. Evolved Extraction’s Engineering division has helped clients 2x or 3x their solent recovery rates across North America. Get in touch with one of our Live Resin wizards if you are interested in taking advantage of our service.
  • Cart Consistency: Every batch of live resin will have a different ratio of terps to THC. This variability can cause problems and customer frustration. The solution to this is to separate the THC from the terps and recombine them in precise formulas that can be repeated each time. We’ll explain how in the step by step instructions below.
  • Completely decarboxylated: Traditionally, when making live resin into carts, a decarboxylation is performed on the crude oil to prepare it for the cartridges. Typically this is done in jars or diamond miners using the “low and slow” method, meaning low temperatures and slow decarb reaction to minimize terpene degradation and loss from heat exposure. This often results in incomplete decarboxylation of the THCa into THC. If there’s enough THCa left in the cartridge, then it will crystallize in the cart and result in customer frustration. Again with this, the solution is to separate the THCa from the terpenes so that the THC can be fully decarbed quickly and at high temperatures, without impacting the terp fraction at all.

How THCa Crystallization Can Be Used to Produce the Highest Quality Live Resin Carts in Large Volumes

In the rapidly expanding cannabis market, producers continually seek innovative methods to enhance product quality while scaling production. THCa crystallization emerges as a pivotal technique for achieving both goals, particularly in the production of live resin cartridges. This process not only ensures a high purity and potency of THC but also preserves the delicate terpene profiles that are crucial for the authentic, flavorful experience associated with top-tier live resin products. Lastly, since the THCa is separated from the terpenes during the production process, they can be recombined in precise ratios. Those formulas can be repeated at various facilities, anywhere in the world. That makes it great for large scale, repeatable production processes. If you’re wondering how to make all this a reality, we also offer engineering and consulting services to support the entire process, every step of the way. Get in touch with our team of experts for a free consultation.

How to Make Live Resin Carts Step by Step

If you want to implement any of these techniques into your extraction process, there are a few ways we can help. First, you can always feel free to get in touch with us for a discovery call. Our experienced team would be happy to help support you in taking your live resin game to the next level, through consulting services, seminars or equipment. If you want to learn more about how to make live resin carts on your own, check out our next blog, How to Make Live Resin Carts Step by Step. 

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