What is a Supercritical Fluid?

A supercritical fluid (SCF) is any substance above its critical temperature and pressure; the fluid has the properties of both gas and liquid while not exhibiting a distinct liquid or gaseous phase. Thus, an SCF is,

• Dense like a liquid to dissolve materials

• Has low viscosity, high diffusivity, no surface tension like a gas

Carbon dioxide is the most commonly used supercritical fluid and becomes supercritical at 31^oC and 74 BAR. There are many applications for scCO₂, including decaffeination of coffee, extraction of natural products, and waterless textile dyeing.

Carbon dioxide is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and in our case most of the CO₂ is internally recycled with very little vented to the atmosphere. scCO₂ based operations represent a very “green” technology.

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It All Starts with Coffee

Supercritical... Coffee?

After its discovery, the first large scale use of supercritical fluids in extracting natural products was the decaffeination of coffee. Since then, many industries have made the switch to supercritical fluid. Producers of essential oils are finding supercritical fluids to be an excellent replacement for traditional methods that use hazardous chemicals.

Solvent Free extracts created with supercritical fluids are found in foods, fragrances, herbal extracts, natural medicines, aromatherapy… and the list goes on.

For more information about how supercritical fluid can improve YOUR process, visit the  Essentials Oils section of the Applied Separations website.

Chemical-free Fragrance Extraction at Low Temperatures

Whether you’re extracting fragrances for perfumes or foods, you want the highest quality extract with the least chemical residue. Using supercritical fluid to extract your fragrances is the way to accomplish this with no hazardous chemicals.

© Raymond Kasprzak
Dreamstime Stock Photos

 Fragrance compounds are volatile molecules that have an odor or aroma. They are low molecular weight compounds and are found in food, wine, spices, flowers and many natural products. These volatile essential oils are composed of esters, terpenes, cyclic terpenes, aromatics, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and lactones. All of these compounds are readily soluble in supercritical CO₂ at low temperatures and low pressures.

Visit the Applied Separations website for more information about Supercritical Fragrance Extraction and Supercritical Fluids.

Environmentally Friendly Essential Oil Extractions

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. Essential oils are the base for aromatherapy.

What if there was a way to extract essential oils quickly and efficiently, without compromising the quality of the extract? There is. Supercritical carbon dioxide.

With supercritical fluids:

• No Solvent residue. No health hazard. Maintains a "natural" state. 
• Mild Extraction Conditions – 31°C temperature 
• Fractionation - easy using only CO₂ - CO₂ is a "tunable solvent" – easily change your temperature/pressure to suit your material 

Supercritical CO₂ can also be used in conjunction with more traditional methods such as soaking perfume feedstocks in an organic solvent for a period of time. The organic solvents containing the extracted the perfumes (essential oils) and accompanying waxes is then decanted and evaporated, leaving a concrete. The essential oils can easily be separated from the wax with supercritical CO₂. Because of the low temperature, the process gives high recoveries.

Click here to see an example of a supercritical system for the extraction of essential oils.

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Essential Oil Extracts with No Solvent Residue or Health Hazard

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide extracts essential oils more efficiently than petroleum based solvents. More importantly, upon returning to an ambient state, the CO₂ becomes a gas, leaving no residue. Flavors and fragrances are left in their unadulterated states. Essential oils extracted with supercritical fluids leave no solvent taste or smell.

Sometimes supercritical CO₂ is used in conjunction with more traditional methods such as soaking perfume feedstocks in an organic solvent for a period of time. The organic solvents containing the extracted the perfumes (essential oils) and accompanying waxes are then decanted and evaporated, leaving a concrete. The essential oils can easily be separated from the wax with supercritical CO₂. Because of the low temperature, the process gives high recoveries.

View the video and visit the Applied Separations website for more information.

Can I use Supercritical Fluid to process MY Essential Oil?

Can I use Supercritical Fluid to process MY Essential Oil?

Short answer: Yes!

Supercritical fluid is a “tunable” solvent, meaning...
Manipulate the pressure and change the density. Change the density, and you change the solvating power.

Change the solubility characteristics of supercritical CO₂ to suit your needs.
Sunflower seeds? Yes.
Lavender? Yes.
Vanilla? Yes.
Coffee beans? Yes.
Cinnamon? Yes.
Ginger? Yes.
Jasmine? Yes.
Kava Kava? Yes.
Patchouli? Yes.
Rose Hip Seeds? Yes.
St. John’s Wort? Yes. …and the list goes on and on.


Visit the Applied Separations website to find out how.

Non-Toxic Enzymatic Esterification

Esters of fatty acids and alcohols are used in the food, beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as flavor and fragrance compounds. Applied Separations has recently synthesized fatty acid esters using an immobilized lipase in a carbon dioxide medium without the use of toxic organic solvents. Various esters have been synthesized using the “green” supercritical process including citronellol laurate, isoamyl acetate, and octyl oleate.

For more information, visit the Applied Separations website.

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