Maintenance and Cleaning of a Boiler

In daily industrial operation, Maintenance and Cleaning of a chemical oil-fired boiler is the core energy equipment, and its working state is directly related to production efficiency, safety and operating cost. Although many enterprises pay attention to performance indicators in the initial stage of equipment procurement, in the actual use process, they ignore the later maintenance and cleaning work, which leads to the decline of efficiency, the increase of energy consumption and even the potential safety hazard. In fact, scientific and regular maintenance and cleaning is not only the basic requirement to ensure the normal operation of boilers, but also the key to enhance economic benefits and corporate image.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Daily Inspection of Maintenance and Cleaning of a Boiler

Daily inspection is the most basic and key link in boiler maintenance, especially in chemical oil-fired boiler system. Through daily regular inspection, the running status of equipment can be grasped in time and potential problems can be prevented.

  • Fuel oil level check
  • Monitoring of operation parameters
  • Abnormal sound and vibration
  • Safety device function

Weekly Inspection of Maintenance and Cleaning of a Boiler

Different from daily inspection, weekly inspection of Maintenance and Cleaning of a Boiler

focuses more on the preliminary evaluation of boiler external system and working environment. Through regular external inspection and system inspection, we can find some problems that are not easy to detect in daily operation and further consolidate the safety and reliability of boiler operation.

  • Fuel pipeline leakage inspection
  • The surrounding environment is clean
  • Electrical connection inspection

Monthly Inspection

Compared with daily and weekly basic inspection, monthly inspection pays more attention to the running state and performance of boiler core components. Through in-depth inspection of air system, combustion system and emission system, the combustion efficiency of boiler can be effectively improved, pollution emission can be reduced, and the basis for subsequent maintenance can be provided.

  • Air filter maintenance
  • Burner inspection
  • Flue gas emission

The flue gas discharged from boilers may contain harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, which is the focus of environmental protection supervision. The flue gas emission should be monitored every month to assess whether it meets the local environmental protection standards. If it is found that the emission index exceeds the standard, check whether the combustion condition is normal, whether there are problems such as insufficient combustion and improper fuel-air ratio. At the same time, the inner wall of the flue can be inspected to see if there is carbon deposition and blockage, so as to ensure the smooth discharge of flue gas and avoid the back pressure from affecting the operating efficiency of the boiler.

Steam Boiler Maintenance

Why steam boiler maintenance is important?

As the core equipment in industrial production, the performance of steam boiler directly affects the production efficiency, energy consumption, equipment life and safety of enterprises. Regular maintenance can not only optimize the operation state of the boiler but also prevent the economic losses and potential safety hazards caused by the failure.

Improve Efficiency

Optimize boiler performance and reduce energy consumption.  As the running time of the boiler goes on, scale, carbon deposit and impurities will accumulate inside the boiler, which will lead to the decrease of heat transfer efficiency and the increase of fuel consumption.

Regular maintenance can clean boiler pipes and heat exchange surfaces, improve heat transfer efficiency, make fuel burn fully and reduce waste. At the same time, check the burner and damper control system, optimize the air supply ratio, ensure full combustion and reduce smoke loss. In addition, maintain the condensate recovery system, recover waste heat, improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

Extend Service life

Reduce wear and prevent failure.  After long-term operation of steam boilers, pipes, valves and heat exchange parts are prone to wear and corrosion due to the influence of high temperature and high-pressure environment. Lack of maintenance may lead to metal fatigue, cracks and even leakage, shortening the service life of the boiler.

Regular inspection and cleaning can prevent scale and corrosion, reduce the damage to the inside of the boiler, and at the same time, check the pressure vessels and pipelines to find hidden dangers such as cracks and leaks in time to avoid premature scrapping of equipment. In addition, the burner and control system are maintained to ensure efficient operation of the boiler, reduce load and improve durability. Good maintenance habits can significantly prolong boiler life, reduce replacement frequency and improve return on investment.

Reduce maintenance and replacement costs

Preventive maintenance reduces overhaul costs.  Neglecting boiler maintenance can easily lead to minor problems accumulating into serious failures and eventually lead to expensive repairs and even equipment replacement. Regular maintenance can find and repair problems such as leakage, wear or incomplete combustion in time, and prevent the failure from worsening. At the same time, the scaling of boiler pipes and combustion chambers is reduced, the cleaning and repair costs are reduced, and the damage of components is avoided. It can also reduce unplanned downtime, ensure stable production and reduce maintenance and labor costs. Compared with the high maintenance cost of sudden failure, the regular maintenance investment is lower, which can save a lot of costs for the long-term operation of enterprises.

Ensure Safety

Prevent accidents when the boiler operates in high temperature and high-pressure environment, if it is not properly maintained, it may cause serious safety accidents, such as fire, explosion and carbon monoxide leakage. Boiler safety accidents will not only endanger people’s lives but also cause property losses and legal liabilities of enterprises.

Regular maintenance can check the safety valve, pressure gauge and low water level cut-off device to ensure that the boiler operates within the normal pressure and water level range and prevent overpressure explosion. At the same time, regularly discharge pollutants and clean the combustion system to prevent carbon deposition and flue blockage and reduce the risk of fire and deflagration. In addition, check the ventilation and combustion control system of the boiler room to avoid carbon monoxide leakage and ensure the safety of operators. Through strict safety inspection and preventive maintenance, enterprises can effectively reduce potential safety hazards, ensure the stable operation of boilers and ensure production safety.

What is an Economizer?

What is an economizer?  it is a kind of heat exchange equipment specially designed to improve boiler energy utilization efficiency.  It is usually installed in the flue at the tail of the boiler, and its main function is to recover the waste heat in the flue gas during the operation of the boiler, improve the overall energy efficiency of the boiler system, and thus achieve the purpose of energy saving and emission reduction.

The boiler economizer passes through the economizer to transfer the heat in the high-temperature flue gas to the boiler feed water through the internal heat exchange device to realize the preheating of the feed water.  The preheated boiler feed water temperature is close to the required working temperature of the boiler, which greatly reduces the fuel consumption required by the boiler when heating the water to the required temperature, thus effectively improving the thermal efficiency, reducing the operating cost, and significantly reducing the energy waste and pollutant emission in flue gas emission.  The application of economizer can not only save energy and reduce the production cost of enterprises but also help to achieve the goals of energy saving, emission reduction and environmental protection, and it is an indispensable part of modern boiler system.

Working Principle of Boiler Economizer

The working principle of boiler economizer can be embodied in three aspects:  Heat recovery, temperature difference utilization and heat transfer mode.

Main Types of Boiler Economizer

Condensing economizer

By cooling the flue gas below its condensation temperature, the condensing economizer condenses the water vapor in the flue gas, thus releasing latent heat.  This released latent heat is further utilized to heat boiler feed water or other process water, thus improving the overall heat recovery efficiency.

Non-condensing economizer

Non-condensing economizer only reduces the temperature of flue gas to above its dew point temperature, thus avoiding the condensation of water vapor in flue gas.  In this way, the equipment can not only recover some sensible heat but also reduce the material loss and maintenance requirements caused by condensed water corrosion.

Other Types of Boiler Economizer

Shell-and-tube economizer

Shell-and-tube economizer consists of a shell and a series of heat transfer tubes inside.  Flue gas usually flows in the shell, while boiler feed water flows in the pipe, and heat is transferred from flue gas to feed water through the pipe wall.

Plate economizer

The plate economizer is formed by arranging a plurality of metal plates, forming a plurality of flue gas and water flow channels, flue gas and feed water flow between the plates, and heat is transferred through the plates.

Conclusion

As an efficient heat recovery equipment, boiler economizer greatly improves the overall energy efficiency of boiler system by making full use of the waste heat in flue gas, which not only effectively reduces fuel consumption, but also significantly reduces operating costs.  In industrial production, condensing economizer or non-condensing economizer can be selected according to specific application requirements, both of which have unique advantages and applicable scenarios.  Choosing the size and model of economizer reasonably and ensuring high-quality installation and debugging are the key factors to realize efficient operation and prolong service life of equipment.

In design and technology, modern boiler economizer integrates many innovations, such as corrosion-resistant materials, anti-scaling structure, compact design and intelligent monitoring system, which makes it more suitable for changing industrial needs.  By significantly improving boiler efficiency, economizer not only brings economic benefits to enterprises, but also plays an important role in energy saving, emission reduction and environmental protection. As an indispensable and important equipment in modern industrial boiler system, boiler economizer embodies the perfect combination of technological progress and sustainable development and helps enterprises to reach a new height on the road of energy saving and environmental protection.  If you are interested in boiler system, please Contact Us.  Choosing the correct boiler means choosing high quality, high efficiency and reliable service support, which will make your boiler system further on the road of energy saving and environmental protection.

Boiler Applications

Types of Industrial Boiler Applications

Industrial boilers can be divided into many types according to different designs and functions, and each type has unique advantages in specific scenarios.

Fire-tube Boilers

Fire tube boilers generate steam by letting high-temperature flue gas flow through pipes arranged in water and transferring heat to surrounding water.  The inside of a boiler usually consists of a large water tank and several smoke pipes, and the hot smoke generated by the combustion chamber passes through these smoke pipes to transfer heat energy to the water in the water tank.

Characteristic

Simple structure:  The design of fire tube boiler is more traditional and easier to manufacture and maintain.

Stable operation:  It is suitable for the production of medium and low-pressure steam, and the operation is relatively stable.

Good economy:  The initial investment cost is low, which is suitable for scenes with stable steam demand.

Industrial Applications

Fire tube boilers are widely used in industries that need medium and low-pressure steam, such as food processing (cooking and sterilization), textile industry (dyeing and cleaning), small chemical plants and so on.

Water-tube Boilers

Water-tube boilers generate steam by letting water flow in tubes and being heated by high-temperature flue gas generated by external combustion.  Contrary to the fire tube boiler, the water flow of the water tube boiler forms a network through multiple tubes, while the high temperature flue gas flows around the tubes.

Characteristic

Strong pressure-bearing capacity:  Water-tube boiler can bear higher pressure, which is suitable for scenes requiring high-temperature and high-pressure steam.

High efficiency:  Because the heat exchange area of water tube boiler is larger, the thermal efficiency is higher than that of fire tube boiler.

Strong adaptability:   It can handle a variety of fuels, including coal, oil, natural gas and biomass fuel.

Industrial Applications

Water-tube boilers are mainly used in large industrial fields, such as power plants (driving steam turbines), petrochemical industry (heating and distillation), pharmaceutical industry (sterilization and process heat sources), and large factories that need high-efficiency and high-capacity steam supply.

Other Types of Boilers

Electric boiler

Electric energy is used to heat the resistance element, thus heating water into steam or hot water.

Advantages:  No pollution, simple installation, suitable for small industries or places with high environmental protection requirements.

Industrial Applications:  Laboratories, hospitals, electronic manufacturing industries and other places that need clean energy.

Compound boiler

It combines the advantages of fire tube and water tube boiler and has the characteristics of both.

Advantages:  High efficiency and energy saving, suitable for various working conditions.

Industrial Applications:  Shipbuilding industry, large-scale industrial projects and other environments that need a variety of steam demand.

Biomass boiler

Using biomass fuel (such as sawdust, straw and rice husk) to generate heat energy.

Advantages:  Strong environmental protection, low fuel cost and low carbon emission.

Industrial Applications:  Paper mills, food processing plants and other industries that pay attention to environmental protection and renewable energy.

Industrial Applications of Boilers

Manufacturing industry

In manufacturing industry, steam is an important power source to drive mechanical equipment.  For example, steam turbines and compressors play a key role in factory production lines, and industrial boilers provide efficient and stable steam power for these devices.

Power production

Industrial boiler applications are one of the key equipment in power plant, which generates high-temperature and high-pressure steam by burning fuel (such as coal, natural gas or biomass) to drive steam turbine to generate electricity.  This process is the basis of traditional thermal power generation and some renewable energy power generation.

Chemical industry

The chemical industry has a huge demand for heat energy, and the high-temperature heat energy provided by the boiler is used to support the chemical reaction.  For example, in the production of refined petAll Productsroleum, synthetic materials and chemicals, the heat of the boiler is the core power of catalytic and cracking reactions.

Conclusion

As the core power source of production equipment, industrial boilers play an irreplaceable role in manufacturing, power production, chemical industry and other fields.  It not only provides efficient and stable heat and steam for industrial processes, but also supports key production links in many industries, such as heating, driving equipment and supporting complex chemical reactions.  The versatility and wide application of industrial boilers fully reflect its importance to the development of modern industry.

Our boilers focus on providing efficient and environmentally friendly boiler solutions to meet diverse industrial needs.  Choosing ProExtractionUSA  is not only a commitment to quality, but also a step to promote a green future. Through correct boiler selection and optimized operation, enterprises can realize cost saving, improve productivity and maintain a leading position in the competition.

Boiler Economizer Benefits

In modern industrial production, boiler is the core equipment of heat energy supply, and its efficiency is directly related to energy consumption and production cost. As an energy recovery device, Boiler Economizer Benefits can significantly reduce fuel consumption by preheating feed water or air by using the waste heat of boiler tail gas, thus improving the overall efficiency of boiler system, saving operating costs and reducing environmental pollution.

As a leader in the field of industrial boilers, our Boiler has always been committed to providing efficient and energy-saving boiler solutions to customers all over the world. With years of technical accumulation and R&D innovation, we have developed a series of high-performance economizer products, which not only improve the economy and environmental protection of boiler system, but also further consolidate benchmark position in the industry. By leading the development of energy-saving technology, our Boiler is creating outstanding value for more enterprises.

What is a Boiler Economizer?

Boiler Economizer Benefits is a key device specially designed to improve the energy utilization efficiency of boiler system.  Its main function is to recover the waste heat from the waste gas discharged by boiler and use this heat to preheat boiler feed water or combustion air. Through this process, the boiler economizer can significantly reduce the fuel consumption of the boiler system without adding additional fuel.

Boiler Economizer Working Principle

In industrial boiler system, economizer, as an efficient energy-saving device, realizes energy saving through heat energy recovery. According to working principle and service conditions, it is mainly divided into dry economizer and condensing economizer. These two types have their own characteristics, which can meet the needs of different boiler systems and play an important role in improving energy utilization efficiency and saving operating costs.

Energy Saving Effect and Cost Recovery of Boiler Economizer

As an important energy-saving device in the boiler system, the Boiler Economizer Benefits not only improves the overall efficiency of the boiler but also saves a lot of fuel costs for users and plays a positive role in environmental protection.

Conclusion

Our boiler economizer plays a core role in improving energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, which significantly saves costs for customers and helps to achieve environmental compliance goals. No matter in manufacturing, chemical industry, food processing and textile and paper making, our economizer has become an important driving force for industrial energy-saving upgrading with its excellent energy-saving performance and flexible design.

In the future, our boiler will continue to devote itself to innovative research and development of boiler technology to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of energy conservation and emission reduction. We will focus on improving heat recovery efficiency, optimizing equipment performance, and combining intelligent technology to provide customers with more efficient and environmentally friendly energy solutions.

At the same time, our boiler plans to further optimize the design of economizer, promote the development of green industry, and help customers actively practice the concept of sustainable development while improving economic Boiler Economizer Benefits. Through continuous improvement of technology and excellent service, our boiler will continue to work with customers to create a bright future for green industry.

Critical Role of Boilers

BoilersIndustrial boilers play a Critical Role of Boilers in transforming chemical energy into thermal energy by burning fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas to generate steam or hot water. This steam or hot water is integral to various stages of industrial production, including heating, power generation, drying, molding, and sterilization. Whether in the chemical or food processing sectors, boilers provide the essential heat and steam necessary to maintain consistent production. For instance, in the chemical industry, boilers are used to heat reactors and supply steam for power. In the pharmaceutical industry, they ensure precise temperature control during production. In the food industry, boilers continuously supply thermal energy for cooking, sterilization, and other operations.

Despite advancements in new energy sources and energy-saving technologies, industrial boilers remain one of the most direct, economical, and efficient methods of providing heat energy. This is particularly true in heavy industries, where large quantities of heat and steam are needed. Furthermore, as environmental regulations tighten, the Critical Role of Boilers for industrial boilers is evolving with innovations such as clean combustion technologies and waste heat recovery systems, which aim to reduce energy consumption and lower environmental impact, reinforcing their irreplaceable position in industrial production.

Why is Regular Maintenance of Industrial Boilers Essential?

Like all mechanical equipment, industrial boilers experience wear and performance degradation over time, especially under high-load conditions. Neglecting maintenance can reduce production efficiency, increase operating costs, and introduce safety risks. Regular maintenance is crucial to ensure the safe and efficient operation of boilers, and it also helps minimize the long-term operational risks for businesses.

Key Components of Industrial Boiler Maintenance

To ensure optimal performance, regular inspection and maintenance of critical boiler systems are essential. Maintenance involves focusing on core areas such as the combustion system, heat exchange system, pressure and temperature control systems, pipeline and valve inspections, and managing the quality of boiler water.

How to Select the Right Boiler Maintenance Service Provider

Selecting a reliable and experienced maintenance service provider is vital for the long-term operation of industrial boilers. A skilled service provider ensures that the equipment runs efficiently, resolves potential issues promptly, extends the boiler’s service life, and helps avoid production downtime and associated losses. Businesses should carefully consider factors such as the provider’s technical expertise, response time, and customer reviews to choose the most suitable partner.

Conclusion

Regular maintenance of industrial boilers is not only key to ensuring safety and prolonging equipment life but also plays a critical role in boosting production efficiency. If boilers operating in high-temperature, high-pressure environments are not properly maintained, serious safety issues, production delays, and energy waste may occur. Routine maintenance ensures boilers operate at peak efficiency, preventing unexpected breakdowns, improving energy utilization, and maintaining the continuity of production lines.

Choosing an experienced, professional boiler maintenance provider Critical Role of Boilers for ensuring optimal equipment care. When evaluating service providers, companies should consider technical capabilities, customer feedback, and responsiveness to select the best partner.

Additionally, businesses should establish a comprehensive boiler maintenance schedule, ensuring regular maintenance based on the equipment’s usage and operational demands. Proactive maintenance helps prevent unexpected failures, addresses potential safety concerns, stabilizes production, and ensures compliance with relevant laws, avoiding unnecessary fines or losses. As a leading boiler manufacturer, ProExtracionUSA is dedicated to providing clients with high-quality equipment and professional maintenance services, helping businesses enhance energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and maintain safe operations.

Operating Costs of Oil-Fired Steam Boilers

Operating Costs of Oil-Fired Steam Boilers

The Operating Costs of Oil-Fired Steam Boilers are crucial equipment for thermal energy conversion in chemical enterprises.  They heat water into steam or hot water by burning diesel, heavy oil, and other fuels to meet the heat demand in chemical production.  This process includes fuel combustion, heat transfer, water circulation, and the output of steam or hot water.

In chemical production, oil-fired steam boilers play a vital role by providing steam or hot water for reactors, dryers, and textile machinery, maintaining the necessary temperature conditions.  Efficient boiler operation can enhance production efficiency, minimize interruptions, and ensure product quality.  Additionally, their flexibility can meet various chemical production needs, ensuring continuous and stable operation.

In chemical plants, the high operating costs of oil-fired steam boilers are a major concern, compressing profits and hindering sustainable development.  These costs stem from significant fuel consumption, price volatility, expensive maintenance, low energy efficiency, and increased environmental investments.  These challenges necessitate a balance between efficient production and cost control.  Thorough analysis and cost reduction strategies are essential to improve operational efficiency and enhance competitiveness.  ProExtractionUSA Boiler will next provide a detailed analysis of the causes and propose improvement measures.

Conclusion

In the highly competitive chemical industry, reducing operating costs is crucial for continuous profitability and enhanced competitiveness.  By optimizing production processes, improving equipment efficiency, and reducing energy and raw material waste, enterprises can effectively control costs while ensuring product quality.  This not only enhances profitability but also increases resilience to market fluctuations, ensuring long-term stable development.  Therefore, chemical plant managers should prioritize cost reduction and consider it a core task of daily management.

Since each chemical plant’s situation and needs are different, cost reduction methods should be tailored accordingly.  Managers should actively seek external expert assistance to formulate cost reduction plans suitable for their specific circumstances.  The expert team at ProExtractionUSA Boiler can comprehensively analyze and evaluate production processes, equipment conditions, personnel configurations, and other factors to provide targeted and practical suggestions.

If you are looking for effective ways to reduce operating costs and improve boiler efficiency, ProExtractionUSA Boiler can provide you with solutions to help you move towards a more efficient and greener future for your business.

Boiler Maintenance

What Is Industrial Boiler Repair?

Industrial boiler repair involves the thorough inspection, maintenance, and repair of damaged equipment associated with boilers in industrial settings.  The goal is to restore the boiler’s performance, ensuring safe, efficient, and stable operation.  It encompasses not only fixing immediate problems but also maintaining the long-term health and efficiency of the entire boiler system.

To ensure continuous operation and safety, regular inspections, maintenance, and prompt attention to issues are essential.  Our Boiler provides professional repair services with a highly experienced team that can quickly identify and address boiler stability issues during operation.  They utilize high-quality auxiliary equipment parts from reputable brands to minimize losses caused by unexpected boiler shutdowns, ultimately prolonging the lifespan of your industrial boiler.

You can mitigate risks, optimize boiler performance, and ensure the smooth and uninterrupted operation of your industrial processes with our Boiler’s expertise and repair services.

What Are Types of Industrial Boiler Repair?

There are many types of industrial boiler repairs, and the repair contents are also different. Below we will combine several common types of boiler repairs, Our Boiler describes as follows:

Preventive Boiler Repair

Preventive maintenance is the regular inspection and maintenance of the boiler before it fails.  This maintenance is designed to detect potential problems in advance and prevent them from developing into serious failures.

Preventive maintenance usually includes cleaning dust and dirt inside and outside the boiler, checking and replacing worn parts, calibrating safe installation positions, checking and tightening loose connections, etc.  Through preventive maintenance, the service life of the boiler can be extended, the operating efficiency can be improved, and the possibility of failure can be reduced.

Fault Boiler Repair for boiler maintenance

Fault repair is a repair activity performed after a boiler fails.  When a boiler fails, maintenance personnel need to quickly locate the problem and take appropriate measures to repair it.  This may include replacing damaged parts, repairing leaking pipes, adjusting control systems, etc.  The goal of fault repair is to restore the normal operation of the boiler as soon as possible, reduce downtime, and reduce plant production losses.

Coal Fired Boiler Repair

For coal fired boilers, our Boiler maintenance professional team will regularly clean the grate thoroughly to remove accumulated ash and ensure combustion efficiency and uniform temperature in the furnace.  Deep cleaning of the furnace and heating surface is also a service focus of coal-fired boiler repair.

Professional tools are used to remove smoke accumulation to prevent thermal efficiency reduction and equipment overheating damage.  In addition, we will also conduct a comprehensive inspection and cleaning of the exhaust system to ensure smooth exhaust of smoke and avoid negative pressure problems and potential flashback risks.

Gas (Oil) Fired Boiler Repair

In gas (Oil) fired Boiler maintenance repair, Our Boiler maintenance focuses on fine tuning of the burner, including ignition electrode inspection, flame detector maintenance and optimization of the fuel supply system to ensure high combustion efficiency and safe operation.  Our will also strictly inspect safety facilities such as gas leak alarm systems and flameout protection devices to ensure safe and stable operation of the boiler system and eliminate safety hazards.

Biomass Fired Boiler Repair

For biomass fired boilers, Our Boiler provides comprehensive maintenance services for the fuel supply system.  Additionally, it includes cleaning and inspection of the storage area and feeding system to prevent blockage and fire risks.  According to the characteristics of biomass fuel, we will also optimize the combustion chamber structure.  Furthermore, we optimize the air volume control to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions.  At the same time, ash treatment is also within its service scope to ensure regular cleaning of the ash collection system to avoid affecting equipment performance.

Electric Boiler Repair

In terms of electric boiler maintenance, Our Boiler’s professional electrical engineers will carefully check.  They will check the insulation performance of heating elements.  In addition, controllers and lines to ensure the safety of the electrical system and avoid short circuits and electric shocks.  The maintenance of the cooling system should not be ignored.  We will check the water circulation system to ensure that it is unobstructed and prevent overheating damage.  In addition, with the development of technology, we also provide control software upgrade services to optimize operating efficiency.  This will help and introduce the latest features to enhance user experience.

In summary, Our Boiler not only follows the specific needs of various types of boilers in its maintenance services.  We also incorporate its commitment to technological innovation and service quality.

Temperature Control of CBD and THC Process

 

Temperature Control for CBD/THC Extraction and Distillation

 

The legalization of the hemp cannabis derivative CBD and of marijuana and its THC derivative for medical and recreational purposes in many US states and all of Canada has led to significant economic growth in the CBD/THC extraction and distillation equipment sector. Many of the manufacturers of these two categories of equipment have been in business for a number of years, and the processes used for extraction and distillation have been refined over decades since they are used to extract and purify many different organic substances, chemical, petrochemical and alcoholic beverages. However, hemp and marijuana have their own unique characteristics, and the processes to extract and purify CBD and THC from their respective plant sources are still being fine-tuned by processors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

There are quite a few different approaches to extraction and distillation of CBD/THC products, and each has certain benefits as well as some less desirable side effects; but they all have in common these parameters that need to be controlled: temperature, pressure or vacuum, source material throughput volume, and for extraction, solvent feed rate.

 

Extraction Process – Temperature control considerations

 

Current extraction processes include CO2, butane or propane, and ethanol.  In each of these methods, the extraction agent is cooled down to temperatures that can reach -80°C (-176°F) and then compressed until it is liquefied.  The temperature reduction is achieved using a chiller, which can be a standard piece of equipment or a custom unit designed to meet unique temperature profile requirements.

In commercial systems, extraction is typically performed in a jacketed vessel.  Water, oil or other liquids are circulated within the jacket by a temperature control unit (TCU) which maintains consistent vessel wall and extraction chamber temperatures.

Temperature control is necessary throughout all the steps in the process, but precise extraction chamber temperature control is absolutely essential to managing final product quality and characteristics.  This high level of control must also be replicable from one batch to another and in fact on a continuing basis over a large number of batches.  Controlling temperature to within .275°C (.5 °F) is a standard that permits a consistent finished product.  It is also important to note that repeatability, in addition to accuracy is extremely important for producers as it allows them to replicate the process over time, and thus insure consistent product quality.

For example, increasing the extraction temperature from the initial agent temperature can:
  • decrease the concentration of terpenoids in the extract
  • risk denaturing the final CBD/THC product
  • increase wax/resin extraction and overall volume, but yield a lower quality product
Similarly, decreasing extraction temperature can lead to:
  • increase the concentration of oil in the extract
  • reduce the wax proportion of the extract

For these reasons, having equipment that is capable of consistent and accurate temperature control is very important to producers; and as there is demand for many variations of this extraction process’ final product, chilling equipment and temperature control units with high precision, closed loop controls are critical.

Once the extraction process is complete a processor is left with “crude extract” that is 55- 75% cannabinoid and that may in some instances, be sold without any further processing. For the majority of processors however, further separation of the remaining elements is necessary to obtain fully purified, high value CBD/THC oil.

The next step in the purification process is to remove waxes by cooling the extract down to approximately -20°C (-4°F) in a chiller-driven jacketed vessel. This “winterization” process precipitates some of the undesired elements out of the solution which after filtering, leaves oil made up of cannabinoids, chlorophyll and terpenes. Decarboxylation is an important step that may be performed either before or after the winterization process. It is used to activate CBD/THC components and is accomplished by carefully heating an extracted solution to release the carboxyl ring group (COOH).

 

Distillation Process – Temperature control consideration

 

A distillation process is then conducted to complete the separation of the remaining elements and produce the purest possible CBD or THC oil. It is worth noting that even though a source material has been winterized, as much as 40% of the remaining feedstock may consist of undesirable materials.  Also, in the case of ethanol extraction, ethanol must then be evaporated to separate it from CBD/THC components.

As in the extraction process, the distillation process that is used to fully purify CBD/THC oils requires closely controlled temperature, pressure and source material feed rates to ensure that the necessary interactions produce a high-quality finished product with characteristics that generate the highest possible value.

The most common pieces of equipment are wiped film, molecular short-path stills.  In this approach, the feedstock of oil is fed into a jacketed vessel that is often heated with an oil circulating TCU to achieve temperatures up to 343°C (650°F), though the typical distillation temperature range is 130 -180°C (266-356°F). In these systems, the feed stock is distributed on the evaporation chamber wall with a special wiper.

The resulting thin film allows the more volatile terpenes to evaporate through the top of the chamber into their own external collection vessel, while the CBD/THC is collected along a TCU controlled central condenser unit which is cooler (typically 60-70°C / 140-158°F) than the evaporation chamber and serves to attract the cannabinoid vapor.  The final step in the process is solvent removal, which is accomplished in a separate, external cold trap, which is also temperature controlled with a chiller.

Certain OEMs offer wiped film molecular short-path distilling equipment that integrates the removal of heavier materials directly into their distilling process.  In this instance, chlorophyll, waxes and other heavier residue (up to 40% of the feed stock) descend the outer wall of the distillation vessel and are collected in their designated container.

In certain cases, a final separation step is taken to separate THC from CBD.  Crystallization is a common method.  A reactor vessel is filled with feedstock and a solvent which is chilled slowly from 60°C to -20°C.  A slurry results and that is transferred to a filter dryer to produce pure, dried crystals.  The filter is a jacketed vessel whose temperature is controlled with a circulating hot oil unit. The process results in a 98% or higher purity of the CBD or THC product.

Chillers
  • Capabilities from 1-60 tons (higher capacities offered as custom designs)
  • Variable speed design that can cut energy usage up to 50%
  • Standard operating range from -18°C to 27°C (0°F to 80°F)
  • Highly accurate closed loop temperature control to .275°C (.5°F)
  • Data logging with remote control and analysis tools
  • Industry 0 ready
  • Long life heat exchange materials and low maintenance design
Temperature Control Units (TCUs)
  • Water Circulating Temperature Control Units (TCU) will perform in processes up to 300°F (149°C)
    • ¾ to 7 ½ HP Pump, 25 to 150 GPM
    • 9 to 144 KW Low Watt Density Heater
    • 149°C (300°F) Fluid Operating Temperature
  • Oil units up to 343°C/650°F
    • 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 KW Heaters, or special designs up to 360 KW
    • Maximum Operation Temperature up to 343°C (650°F)
    • 10 to 150 GPM Pumping Capacity
    • Heating Only or Heating with Cooling Capabilities
  • Dual circuit combination TCU/Chiller units
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