Seminar on

Super Critical Fluid

A New Solvent

Guided by Prepared By
Mr. V.M. Parsana Shukla Purvi
01CH047
 INTRODUCTION
 What is super critical fluid?
- A super critical fluid is any substance above its critical
temperature and pressure.
- Super critical region is the region behind its critical
temperature and critical pressure zone.
- In super critical region within these critical temperature
and critical pressure zone the distinction between the
gaseous and liquid phase disappears.
 Phase Diagram P-T Behavior of
SCF
 The physical state of a substance can be described
by a phase diagram as shown in the figure. Which
shows three curves sublimation curve, melting
curve & boiling curve.
 The super critical region of a pure fluid which
may be defined as the area above both the critical
pressure and critical temperature.
 These curve define situation where there is
equilibrium between two of the phases.
 PROPERTIES OF SCF
 Related directly to fluid density.
 Density and subsequent salvation strength with
transfer properties like fluid (G – L).
 Faster Extraction & phase separation.
 Effective volatile solids higher than ideal gas.
MERITS AND DEMERITS OF SCF

 MERITS
 Higher diffusion coefficients and lower viscosities
compared to liquid
 Rapid diffusion of carbon dioxide through condensed
phases like polymers.
 Solvent recovery is fast and complete.
 In case of CO2 as a SCF it is environmentally
acceptable, non toxic, non flammable, in expensive
and usable at mild temperature.
 In case of water as a SCF it is nontoxic, non flammable, extremely
wide variation of solvent strength with temperature and pressure.
 MERITS AND DEMERITS
 High boiling component are extracted at relatively low
temperature.
 Non toxic solvent leave no harmful residue.
DEMERITS
 Elevated pressure required.
 Comparison of solvent requires elaborate recycling
measure to reduce the energy cost.
 High capital investment for equipment.
 SOLVENTS FOR SCFE
FLUID CRITICAL CRITICAL
TEMP.(K) PRESSURE (bar)

Carbon dioxide 304.1 73.8

Ethane 305.4 48.8
Ethylene 282.4 50.4
Propane 369.8 42.5
Propelene 364.9 46.0
Trifluoromethane 299.3 48.6
Trichlorofluoromethane 302.0 38.7
Ammonia 471.2 44.1

Water 405.5 113.5

Cyclohexane 647.3 221.2
n-pentane 469.7 33.7
Toluene 591.8 41.0
 Carbon dioxide - as a solvent
 Critical temperature :- 31.1oC
 Critical pressure :- 73.8 bar
 Properties :-
– It is non flammable , non toxic environmental
– Friendly
– It is miscible with variety of organic solvent
– High volatility
 Application:-
– Extraction of caffeine from coffee and tea.
– Extraction of biological products from herbs , spices and
vegetable.
– Extraction of vitamin A and E from vegetable oil.
 Super Critical – Water as a solvent
 Critical temperature:- 374C
 Critical pressure :- 221.2 bar
• Application:-
– Oxidation of water
– Hydrolysis of plastic
 COMPARISION WITH OTHER
EXTRACTION PROCESS
 SOLVENT EXTRACTION
1. Solvent presence is
unavoidable. The residual
ppm level of the solvent
depends on the type of
solvent used.
2. Heavy metal content is also
unavoidable and depends
upon the solvent.
3. Inorganic salt content
cannot be avoided, using the
same concept as above.
4. Polar substance get
dissolved along with the
lipophilic substances from
the raw material due to poor
selectivity of the solvent.
 SCF EXTRACTION
1. Is totally free from solvent
and hence very pure.
2. Totally free of heavy metals.
3. Totally free of inorganic salts
using the same
explanation as above.
2. No such possibility since
there is very high selectivity
of carbon dioxide and no
such chance of polar
substances.
 COMPARISION WITH OTHER
EXTRACTION PROCESS
5. Both polar as well as non 5. Only non polar colors get
polar extracted
colors are extracted.
6. No extra unit operation
6. Solvent removal requires needed and yield of useful
extra unit operations and material is high.
hence the cost and recovery
of useful material is lower.
Decaffeination process
SCFE PROCESS DESCRIPTION
 APPLICATION OF SCF
 Application in extraction : -
 Food application:-
• CO2 used to extract alpha acids from hops
• CO2 used to extract caffeine from coffee beans
• To extract fats and oils from food products
• Pharmaceutical application
• Extraction of vitamin E from soybeans oil
 Environmental application
• To extract organic contaminants from aqueous mixture
• Application in purification
• Purification of oil and grease
• Removal of unchanged monomer from polymers
 REFERNCES
 BOOKS :-
 Encyclopedia Of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 23, Pg. (450-474).
 Frank A. Settle, Handbook of Instrumental Techniques for Analytical
Chemistry,
 Pg. (447-457).
 JOURNALS :-
 Chemical Engineering World, October 2003,
 Pg. (84-86)
 Chemical Engineering World, December 2003,
 Pg. (124)
 WEB LINKS :-
 www.google.com
 www.sciencedirect.com