Eliminate CRC media packing and bypass with plug-and-play hardware

In hydrocarbon extraction, consistency, speed, and safety determine lab profitability. Traditional Color Remediation Columns (CRC) have historically created major operational bottlenecks—requiring lab technicians to measure loose powders, hand-pack layered beds, and scrub clogged sintered mesh disks after every run.

Absolute Filtration Systems (AFS) eliminated this friction with pre-packed, disposable filtration cartridges designed to drop seamlessly into virtually any Butane Hash Oil (BHO) closed-loop extraction machine.

Universal Integration: How AFS Fits Any System

Closed-loop hydrocarbon extractors vary widely in design, capacity, and manufacturer, but nearly all rely on sanitary stainless-steel piping standards. AFS filter cartridges achieve universal compatibility through purpose-built, modular hardware.

Standard Tri-Clamp Inline Housings: AFS cartridges operate inside dedicated stainless-steel inline housings that interface via standard sanitary Tri-Clamp connections (1.5″, 2″, 2.5″, or 3″). Whether your rig uses tri-clamp ferrules, compression fittings, or NPT line adapters, an AFS housing can be installed directly into your existing fluid path.

Flexible Stream Placement: The housing installs inline between the material column and the collection vessel. Laboratories can run the cartridge as an inline pass-through, set up a dual-housing parallel manifold for continuous high-throughput runs, or utilize a bypass loop for selective remediation.

OEM Drop-In Compatibility: Leading extraction equipment manufacturers build AFS cartridge dimensions directly into their proprietary CRC spools and filter manifolds, enabling immediate plug-and-play operation out of the box.

Engineered for Hydrocarbon Extraction Dynamics

Retrofitting filtration into a pressurized closed loop requires rigorous thermal and chemical tolerances. AFS cartridges are engineered specifically for the extreme conditions of BHO processing:

Why Extraction Labs Switch to AFS Cartridges

1. Zero Setup Down-Time

Traditional loose-media packing takes 30 to 60 minutes of measuring, baking, and tamping. An AFS cartridge is unsealed and inserted into the housing in under 30 seconds, turning column prep into an instant swap.

2. Elimination of Channeling and Media Bypass

Hand-packed powders frequently form fissures (channeling) under solvent pressure, allowing unrefined extract and loose silica or clay fines to bypass the bed and enter the collection pot. AFS cartridges utilize automated press-packing and a bonded 2.5 µm bottom filter, ensuring even bed density, balanced contact time, and clean downstream recovery.

3. Targeted Media Blends for Diverse Biomass

Rather than calculating custom media ratios for every batch of crude biomass, processors can select standardized, factory-formulated recipes:

Light / Medium / Heavy: Tailored color remediation to strip chlorophyll, carotenoids, and oxidized pigments ranging from fresh-frozen trim to aged cured biomass.

P+ Pesticide & Heavy Metal Formulations: Specialized selective adsorption media to remediate chemical residues, pesticides, and heavy metals while preserving native terpene profiles.

4. Worker Safety and Lab Cleanliness

Handling loose silicates, active clays, and aluminas produces respirable airborne dust. Encapsulating the media within a sealed, disposable cartridge protects lab technicians from respiratory hazards and eliminates messy column cleanouts.

By bridging standardized sanitary hardware with pre-packed, chemically inert filtration engineering, AFS cartridges allow any closed-loop extraction system—from 1 lb research rigs to commercial multi-column facilities—to achieve repeatable purity and maximum daily batch throughput.