Supercritical fluids – so much more than decaffeinating coffee
If you’re in science, you may have heard about supercritical fluids in your physical chemistry class. If you’re not, we’ll get you up to speed.
The example most often cited for the use of supercritical carbon dioxide is for decaffeinating coffee, replacing the old method which used toxic chemicals.
That is only one use. There are so many more! It’s like asking what you can use water for… You can use water to make tea. You can use it to wash clothes, and you can even use it to make electricity. Supercritical has that same broad variety of uses.
Why are we interested in supercritical fluids?
For health and environmental reasons. Climate change, greenhouse gases, air pollution, and water shortages – textiles can be dyed with supercritical fluid using no water!
Using supercritical fluids can reduce the use of petroleum solvents. Less solvent use equals less hazardous waste, improved worker health, and safer working conditions.
Using supercritical fluids instead of solvents in food production reduces hazardous residues in foods. (Yes, one of the examples is the old standard – decaffeinating coffee.)
New technology requires new techniques.
Cleaning microelectronics, integrated circuits, and lasers with supercritical fluid is more efficient. Critical cleaning – when cleaning medical implants, or intricate 3D printed parts – where cleaning in small areas is difficult – is easily done with supercritical fluids.
Supercritical fluids are also proving their worth when processing aerogels, working with carbon nanotubes, and making nanoparticles.
Supercritical fluids are the way of the future.
What do YOU want to do with supercritical fluids?