IEC Thermo's H.E.M.P. Drying Systems Prove To Be Gentle On Terpenes

USA - English

• USA - English

ROCKFORD, Ill., May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Terpenes, those essential compounds in hemp and cannabis that provide the elements that help differentiate one profile from another, have always been negatively affected by the drying process. IEC Thermo, a well-known brand of CBD-friendly hemp dryers, has perfected a patent-pending process that is gentle enough on hemp and cannabinoids so the degradation of terpenes is reduced.

Terpenes: A Brand Differentiator
In a market that is quickly becoming saturated, it is vital that companies develop methods that differentiate their products from their competitors. The ability to increase the preservation of terpenes in the dry biomass as it is stabilized during drying provides a company with more of the compound that can be extracted and processed. This, in turn, allows for a final product that is high in quality while optimizing its unique benefits.

Hemp Drying and Terpenes Preservation
During a recent study that IEC conducted with Iron Laboratories, the ability of IEC's H.E.M.P. Dryers to provide a low moisture content while also retaining a high level of terpenes was highlighted. During the study, four shredded hemp biomass samples were tested for both moisture content and the total percentage of terpenes.

One sample, which was simply raw and wet shredded hemp biomass, had a moisture content of 70.84 percent and 0.96 percent total terpenes. The other three samples were dried either using Iron Laboratories' drying technology or using the IEC Model 3000 Dryer.

The sample that was dried using Iron Laboratories' technology had a moisture content that was theoretically zero. The percentage of total terpenes was 1.82 percent. The first sample was dried in the IEC Model 3000 until its moisture content measured 23.91 percent. Its percentage of total terpenes was 1.06 percent.

While laboratory technology is considered to be the ideal drying method in the hemp industry, the performance of the IEC Model 3000 demonstrated the unit's superiority. Using the unit to dry the second IEC sample so that it had a moisture content of 10.53 percent, resulted in 2.26 percent of total terpenes.

This difference is significant as it represents nearly 0.5 percent more terpenes. Especially notable is the fact that the IEC Model 3000 captured more of the common terpenes such as Pinene, Myrcene and Limonene.

Overall, this study identified a positive correlation between the efficiency of the IEC H.E.M.P. Dryer and the retention and preservation of terpene molecules. With their continued commitment to the scientific advancement of the cannabis and hemp industry, IEC Thermo continues to establish industry-leading technology and methods in hemp drying.

SOURCE IEC Thermo