Continuous Flow Microreactor Solutions for the CBD Industry

CBD has multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. It is widely used in the fields of medicine, cosmetics, and food. Yuanhuai has developed a comprehensive production process solution for CBD, combining continuous flow microreactor synthesis with molecular distillation or rectification for purification.During the synthesis stage, the advanced technology of the microreactor ensures rapid reactions with high yield and selectivity, while reducing the formation of by-products. In the subsequent purification stage, molecular distillation or rectification is applied to efficiently separate the thermally sensitive CBD at low temperatures, ensuring the final product's high purity and quality. This integrated production process not only enhances production efficiency but also ensures the consistency and reliability of CBD products, meeting the high standards required by the pharmaceutical and health industries.

PROCESS PRINCIPLE

Reaction Equation：

CBD is cyclized to delta-9 THC using AlCl3 as a catalyst.

CBD + AlCl3 ---> delta-9 THC

PROCESS FLOW DESCRIPTION

1.Pre-treatment: AlCl3 is dissolved in DCM (dichloromethane) solvent to prepare a suspension, and CBD is dissolved in DCM as the reaction material.

2.Chemical Reaction in Dynamic Microreactor: The suspension is fed into the dynamic microreactor where the chemical reaction occurs under controlled temperature and pressure conditions to prevent DCM from boiling and to inhibit side reactions.

3.Acid Quenching: After the reaction is completed, to prevent the formation of aluminum hydroxide/oxides, the reaction mixture is quickly quenched in a disk microreactor with a pre-mixed H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) and KOH (potassium hydroxide) quenching agent.

4.Solid-Liquid Separation: The quenched reaction product is subjected to solid-liquid separation using a Yuanhuai centrifuge, yielding solid waste AIK(SO4)2 (aluminum potassium sulfate) and a solution containing CBD.

5.Basic Quenching and Phase Separation: NaOH (sodium hydroxide) solution is added to the liquid phase for basic quenching in a three-stage microreactor to neutralize any residual acid and promote separation of the organic and aqueous phases.

6.Washing: The organic phase is washed sequentially with water, NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate), NaCl, and a final water wash to purify the organic phase.

7.Post-treatment: The organic phase is dried and filtered through activated carbon to remove residual catalysts and prevent isomerization during distillation.

8.Solvent Recovery and Product Purification: DCM is evaporated using a thin-film evaporator and molecular distillation equipment, resulting in pure delta-9 THC. The evaporated DCM is properly treated for recycling, ensuring efficient resource utilization.

9.Product Quality Control: Throughout the production process, online monitoring is used to track key quality attributes in real time, ensuring the product meets predefined specifications and standards.

This continuous process not only increases production efficiency and product yield of CBD with a high conversion rate to delta-9 THC, but also minimizes the formation of delta-8 THC. Additionally, it ensures product quality and environmental sustainability, adhering to the principles of green chemistry in modern chemical production.