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Supercritical 101
What Are Supercritical Fluids?
Supercritical fluids are compounds that, when placed under certain pressures and temperatures, take on properties of a liquid and a gas – and become very
powerful solvents. The most commonly used supercritical fluid, carbon dioxide, or CO2, has several
advantages. CO2 is:
- a benign and non-reactive compound
- readily available
- inexpensive
- a by-product of many industrial and natural processes
Supercritical fluids are used in an impressively wide array of industrial and laboratory processes,
including extractions, absorptions, distillations, dry cleaning, chromatography, chemical reactions,
impregnation, drying, micro and nano particle formation, refrigeration and heat transfer, and enhanced oil
recovery.
Supercritical fluids for industrial applications are well-recognized as one of the world’s leading clean
technologies, and their use continues to grow at a rapid pace, due to advancements in technology as
well as increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally-friendly processing.
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