Getting to know the DR10:
As one of our top selling products, with more than 100 units sold, the DR10 has been around since the beginning of TruSteel. It’s easy to use, and the affordability is unmatched. For those of you still researching and learning the process, the DR10 decarboxylates and devolatilizes your “crude oil.” This means it removes the carboxyl group of the cannabinoid molecule in the form of CO2 and water vapor. In simpler terms, this process actives the cannabinoids for topical or edible use by converting the acidic form (THCa for example) into a neutral form. This affects the thickness of the product, and certain cannabinoids will only crystallize in one form versus the other. Decarboxylation reduces the vapor pressure of the cannabinoids, which is crucial for post-processing in a wiped film evaporator. The heat also will remove residual solvents left over from the solvent recovery step and should yield a product that tests ND (none detected) for solvents and acidic cannabinoids.
I sat down with the Founder of TruSteel, Ray Van Lenten to learn more.
As one of the flagship products, why did you start with the DR10 in addition to the AV15?
“Once I solved the bottleneck for solvent recovery, I realized we needed a much bigger system for decarb that matched the AV15’s throughput. At the time we were using a vacuum oven and the process was so tediously slow, especially when we needed the oven to perform other tasks, or the few times the product bubbled over and coated the entire inside with oil. The design was simple and easy to replicate, it was also affordable. “
Explain your design a bit more.
“I designed it around the same sanitary vessels we used on the AV15. It’s easy to disassemble, to clean, to reassemble, all focus on cutting your downtime. I wanted something that was user-friendly, easy to operate, and safe to use. It’s the perfect size to match an AV15 or AV30 and gives the most consistent results for a scalable operation.”
Why would someone want to add the DR10 to their process?
“Well, look at the current options. You could bake your product in an oven, which is time-consuming, hard to tell when the process is complete, and exposes the operator to unnecessary hazards. Then you have the beaker on a stir plate, which will expose your product to unwanted dust and oxygen, it has poor heating efficiency, is time-consuming and again it exposes the operator to unnecessary hazards. The last traditional option is the glass reactor, it’s fragile, a poor conductor of heat, and is expensive in comparison. The key points being the DR10 is affordable, a great conductor of heat, not made of fragile materials, and it’s safe and easy to use.”
Do you see the DR10 being used in any industry?
“Absolutely. Any reaction that needs to be performed either under vacuum or positive pressure, while removing or adding heat and requiring mixing can be carried out in the DR10. There are many different food and beverage, or even pharmaceutical processes that the unit can be used for. In fact, I have a few of them that we’re brewing beer in right now!”
Is there anything else people should know about the DR10?
“It’s rated from full vacuum to 14 PSIG and paired with a 12KW heater for the body jacket that goes up to 350F with a built-in cooling loop that’s extremely useful for cooling off your product before discharge. It comes with an external condenser for volatiles, as well as a rotary vane pump for vacuum service. We can also custom tailor the unit to your needs and plan on expanding the lineup to suit other industries and processes.”
Ray was also a Guest on THE MODERN EXTRACTOR explaining Solvent Recovery and Decarboxylation LISTEN HERE
To Learn More about the DR10 CLICK HERE or call TruSteel today @ 530.802.0420
Written by Riki Erickson, Marketing Manager