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Decarboxylation (Decarb) Process Guide

This guide outlines the complete decarboxylation procedure for oleoresin, including required PPE, recommended vessel types, temperature/time schedules, stirring requirements, vacuum operation, and cleanup steps.

Link to Decarb Instructions

Quick Facts

  • Process Name: Decarboxylation (Decarb)
  • Category: SOP / Thermal Conversion
  • Key Temperatures:
    • 130°C for 60 minutes
    • 110°C for 180 minutes
  • Agitation: 240–1500 RPM
  • Vacuum Options:
    • Full vacuum: 2–20 mmHg (if cold trap ≤ –50°C)
    • Regulated vacuum: 200–350 mmHg

Safety & PPE

  • SDS Sheets available upon request for all chemicals.
  • Required PPE during ethanol extraction and decarb:
    • Splash goggles
    • Lab coat
    • Gloves

Equipment Recommendations

  • DV (reaction vessel) with capacity at least twice the volume of oleoresin used
  • Magnetic stir bar
  • Controllable heat source: Hot plate or induction cooktop
  • Recommended vessel: Stainless steel Bain Marie (high durability and heat transfer), or glass beaker
  • Vacuum pump & cold trap (if performing vacuum decarb)

Decarb Procedure (Traditional Method)

STEP 1 — Prepare the Reaction Vessel

 

  • Select a DV with maximum capacity ≥ 2× the oleoresin volume.
  • Add magnetic stir bar.
  • Record tare weight of DV.
  • Fill DV up to one-half total volume with extracted oleoresin.
  • Record oleoresin weight (subtract tare).

STEP 2 — Select Heating Parameters
  • Choose temperature based on time available.
  • Decarboxylation times/temps:
    • 60 minutes at 130°C
    • 180 minutes at 110°C
  • Continue operation until small, semi-stable CO₂ bubble production ceases.
  • Note: Thick solutions require longer times due to lower heat transfer efficiency.

STEP 3 — Stirring Requirements
  • Set magnetic or overhead stirring to 240–1500 RPM.
  • Agitation is required to allow proper gas exchange.
  • Lack of agitation will cause boil-over.

STEP 4 — Break Surface Bubbles (If Needed)
  • If a layer of tiny bubbles forms on top, break the layer using a stainless steel or glass stir rod.
  • Continue decarb until small semi-stable CO₂ bubbles cease.

Vacuum Decarb Procedure

Vacuum Settings

 

  • If cold trap can reach –50°C or lower, use full vacuum: 2–20 mmHg.
  • If not, regulate vacuum at 200–350 mmHg to retain fragrant compounds.

STEP 1 — Start Under Vacuum
  • Turn on vacuum pump.
  • Begin heating mantle until oleoresin reaches 75°C.
  • Start magnetic stirring at 100–250 RPM.

STEP 2 — Liquefy Oleoresin
  • Raise mantle temperature to 100°C.
  • Hold for 15 minutes, or until oleoresin is fully liquid and flowing with the stir bar.
  • Note: When starting with vacuum already pulled, a ramp schedule of 50°C → 75°C → 100°C helps mitigate foaming or bumping.

STEP 3 — Increase Agitation
  • Once oleoresin is flowing, slowly increase stir RPM until maximum RPM is achieved.
  • Fast stir bar revolutions create a vortex that breaks semi-stable CO₂ bubbles (essential for both vacuum and non-vacuum decarb).

STEP 4 — Controlled Volatile Removal
  • Raise mantle temperature to 125°C after 20 minutes.
  • This allows gentle distillation of lower-molecular-weight volatiles while preventing degradation.

STEP 5 — Complete Decarb
  • Continue decarboxylation until cessation of small semi-stable CO₂ bubbles.

STEP 6 — Cool Down
  • Turn off heat.
  • Allow oleoresin temperature to fall below 70°C.

STEP 7 — Remove Vacuum / Disassemble
  • If vacuum was used, turn off pump.
  • Open system to atmosphere.
  • Disassemble system.
  • Clean used joint grease and all glassware except the Oil-Water Separator.

Post-Process Steps

STEP 1 — Hydrosol Handling
  • Remove hydrosol from the Oil-Water Separator and place into a sealable container.

STEP 2 — Cold Trap Recovery
  • Remove cold trap from coolant bath.
  • Wipe dry with cloth or towel.
  • Remove contents of cold trap and add them to the Oil-Water Separator.
  • Rinse cold trap with hydrosol or distilled water; add rinse liquid to separator.

STEP 3 — Final Separation
  • Drain off hydrosol and store appropriately.
  • Drain off essential oil into a suitable container.
  • Freeze essential oil for 24 hours to solidify any remaining water.
  • Pour essential oil into a secondary suitable container.

Contact & Support

For decarb equipment or process support:

📞 734-855-4890
📧 support@usalabequipment.com