Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference

Learn how to Green your process. Learn how you can teach Green Chemistry in your university lab. Visit Applied Separations at the 14th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

For more information on how Applied Separations can help you green your process, visit the supercritical fluids section of the Applied Separations website.

http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/

Solvent-Free Essential Oils

Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil is a valuable natural product for the cosmetic industry, yet conventional methods of extraction are often time consuming and rely heavily on the use of chemical solvents. Traditionally, the determination of oil in rosehip seeds is accomplished by soxhlet extraction. Since rosehip seeds contain a relatively low percentage of oil compared to other seeds this extraction method is labor intensive and requires a significant quantity of organic solvent, such as hexane.

SCF is an alternative technique using supercritical carbon dioxide to extract rosehip seed oil quickly and naturally in the laboratory. It eliminates the use, exposure to, and disposal of hazardous solvents, while providing comparable extraction results in less time.

For more information on how to extract oil from rosehip seeds without using solvents, visit the Applied Separations website. Click here to download the Extraction of Rosehip Seed Oil using Supercritical Fluids application.

http://www.appliedseparations.com/Applications/default.asp#SCF

http://www.appliedseparations.com/Applications/downloads/SCF/sfe518RosehipSeedOil.pdf

What is Supercritical Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is in its supercritical fluid state when both the temperature and pressure equal or exceed the critical point of 31°C and 73 atm (see diagram). In its supercritical state, CO₂ has both gas-like and liquid-like qualities, and it is this dual characteristic of supercritical fluids that provides the ideal conditions for extracting compounds with a high degree of recovery in a short period of time.

By controlling or regulating pressure and temperature, the density, or solvent strength, of supercritical fluids can be altered to simulate organic solvents ranging from chloroform to methylene chloride to hexane. This dissolving power can be applied to purify, extract, fractionate, infuse, and recrystallize a wide array of materials.

Because CO₂ is non-polar, a polar organic co-solvent (or modifier) can be added to the supercritical fluid for processing polar compounds. By controlling the level of pressure/temperature/modifier, supercritical CO₂ can dissolve a broad range of compounds, both polar and non-polar.

For more information about supercritical CO₂ and how they can improve and green your process, visit the Applied Separations website.

http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/Supercritical_CO2.asp

Solvent-Free Critical Cleaning

Clean the smallest crevices of implants and completely clean devices without leaving residue behind. Using supercritical CO₂ allows you to employ its properties to great benefit:

No surface tension
Carbon Dioxide in its supercritical state has the permeability to reach into the smallest crevices of any implant. Unlike liquids, Supercritical CO₂ has no surface tension that would prevent it from reaching all of the crevices and completely cleaning the device. Supercritical CO₂ goes deeply into the smallest interstices, and solubilizes impurities, such as paraffin and other binders or lubricants used in the production of the implant.


No residue
Supercritical CO₂ does not leave any residue on the implant. CO₂ simply evaporates back into the atmosphere, leaving behind no contamination. Unlike solvents there is no residue and no clean-up.


For more information about how supercritical fluid can improve your process, visit the Applied Separations website.


http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/

Clean Extraction of Essential Oils – Flavors and Fragrances

The use of essential oils has become "essential" for modern living. Essential oils can be primary ingredients in perfumes for cosmetics or soaps and detergents. They form the basis of the spices in our foods. Using supercritical fluids to extract the essential oils is more efficient and leaves no solvent residue!

Find out how to extract essential oils and keep them in their natural state.

http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/SCF_Uses/SCF_for_Essential_Oils-Flavors_and_Fragrances.asp

Environmentally Friendly Textile Dyeing

The conventional dyeing of textiles requires that an excess of dye is dissolved or in some way "taken-up" in an aqueous or solvent solution. The dye mix is then pumped into a vat containing holding the textile. Typically there is agitation or the dye is recirculated several times through the cloth. At the end of the cycle, the dye mix is pumped to the waste treatment facility. Dyes are notoriously difficult to treat. The process is decidedly unfriendly to the environment.

The use of supercritical CO₂ in textile dyeing is an environmentally friendly alternative.

Click to find out how!

http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/SCF_Uses/SCF_for_Textile_Dyeing.asp

Decaffeination of Coffee with Supercritical Fluids

The blog, "Espresso Coffee Maker" has recently featured a post on "The Process of Coffee Decaffeination" which features the use of supercritical fluids as "an excellent agent for separating an element such as caffeine from a coffee bean..."

The Applied Separations website has more information about the supercritical fluid extraction process.

http://www.cofee-makers.com/the-process-of-coffee-decaffeination/
http://appliedseparations.com/Supercritical/