Systems and methods for separating cannabis-derived compounds using chromatography with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract

Chromatography systems and methods for using carbon dioxide to separate one or more cannabis-derived compounds from other components of a mixture are generally described. Some of the methods described herein comprise transporting a mixture comprising a first cannabis-derived compound and one or more other components through a chromatography column containing a stationary phase comprising a packing material. In some embodiments, the mixture is transported through the column within a mobile phase that comprises carbon dioxide (e.g., supercritical CO2, liquid CO2). The mobile phase may be substantially free of a co-solvent that is in liquid phase at standard room temperature and pressure. In some embodiments, the mobile phase is free of any co-solvent and comprises 100 vol % carbon dioxide. The first cannabis-derived compound may interact with the stationary phase and/or the mobile phase to a different degree than the one or more other components of the mixture, causing at least partial separation of the first cannabis-derived compound from the one or more other components within the column. Due to this separation, at least one fraction of the mobile phase that comprises the first cannabis-derived compound and is substantially free of the one or more other components of the mixture may be collected.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.