One application for our Chillers and Refrigerated/Heated Circulators is controlling the temperature of Supercritical Fluid Extractions (SFE).
Supercritical Fluid Extraction is the process of separating one component from another by using supercritical fluids as the extracting solvent. Extraction is usually from a solid substance, but can also be from liquids. SFE has a wide array of applications. It can be used on a smaller scale for tasks like preparing samples for analytical purposes. It also works on a larger scale, either stripping unwanted material from a product or collecting a desired product. One example of the stripping process would be the decaffeination of consumables, like coffee or tea. The collection process includes items like essential oils, for products like makeup, perfume or soap. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the most frequently used supercritical fluid.
So where do chillers and circulators come in? Extraction conditions for supercritical fluids (like Carbon Dioxide) are extremely dependent on precise temperature and pressure control. PolyScience instruments help by accurately controlling the temperature of both analytical and larger scale Supercritical Fluid Extractions. So that’s how our products help decaffeinate coffee!
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