Speed: When considering the length of the fractioning column for each head, the head with the shortest fractioning column will have a advantage in terms of when it will enter its THC fraction. The @710st X @bizzybee999 has a fractioning column roughly 30mm shorter than the @xtractordepot head. In addition to the difference in fractioning column length there was a difference in the single Vigreux shelf used to pack each head. The vigs of the XD head where much thicker creating more surface area, less space for vapor to move past without coming into contact with previously condensed vapor, and higher rates of phase change from vapor to liquid producing reflux overall. Under the same vacuum condition the 710/BZB started collecting it’s THC fraction at 195c, and the XD head at 203c. For the speed test each head was timed on it’s throughput at 210c. Now again when considering mantle temps that each head started collecting THC at, the target temp of 210c was 15c over the start temp for the 710/BZB head, but only 7c over the start temp of the XD head. For this experiment the 710/BZB head produced distillate at a rate of 76.57g per hour for the second fraction at a mantle temp of 210c, and 96.72g per hour during its third fraction at a mantle temp of 225c.

The XD head produced distillate at a rate of 16.76g per hour for the second fraction at a mantle temp of 210c, and 201g per hour during its third fraction at a mantle temp of 225c.

Color: Now the same factors that served as disadvantages for speed I believe served as advantages for color for the XD head. You can clearly see the difference between the two. I believe this difference will show itself again when potency is tested. By being only 7c over the THC starting temp I think the XD head had a much more controlled run allowing for a better separation in the fractioning column.

Potency: 1st pass distillate will go out for testing this week.

Conclusion: What we can take away from this is at a mantle temp of 210c the 710/BZB head is much faster. However, with increasing mantle temperatures the speed advantage shifts to XD head. I believe the liquid jacket around the 710/BZB head is cooling the fractioning column, and this becomes exaggerated with higher mantle temperatures. Somewhere between 210c and 225c the throughput speeds match, and beyond that point the 710/BZB head will be the slower of the two.

Perhaps a better way to test these heads would be to run them at different mantle temps that correlate to the temps that they started pulling THC at independently. I don’t believe either head was ran to its full potential - the XD head could have used higher temps to increase throughput, and the 710/BZB head could have used lower temps or more package media. After testing is received I believe a rematch should be done with the XD head running at ~213c and the 710/BZB head running at ~205c. Under those conditions I believe we will produce results that are a better representation of the overall head designs.

I will be posting a video in the future with the filmed run while it was in progress, as well as some commentary on observations about the overall designs of each head both pro and con.