Supercritical Fluid Extraction: - A Review
Supercritical Fluid Extraction: - A Review
Supercritical Fluid Extraction: - A Review
- A REVIEW
ABSTRACT
Supercritical fluid extraction is the most effective and efficient way to extract valuable
constituent botanicals. Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) is the process of separating one component
(the extractant) from another (the matrix) using supercritical fluids that is CO2 as the extracting solvent.
CO2 is the king of extraction solvents for botanicals. Extraction conditions for supercritical CO2 are above
the critical temperature of 31C and critical pressure of 74 bar. Supercritical fluids are highly compressed
gases, which have combined properties of gases and liquids in an intriguing manner. Supercritical fluids
can lead to reactions, which are difficult or even impossible to achieve in conventional solvents. It is a fast
process completed in 10 to 60 minutes. A supercritical fluid can be separated from analyte by simply
releasing pressure, leaving almost no trace and yields a pure residue.
Key words: Supercritical fluid extraction, Applications.
INTRODUCTION
Extraction can be defined as the removal of soluble material from an insoluble
residue, either liquid or solid, by treatment with a liquid solvent. It is therefore, a solution
process and depends on the mass transfer phenomena. The controlling factor in the rate of
extraction is normally the rate of diffusion of the solute through the liquid boundary layer at
the interface.
Extraction involves the separation of medicinally active portions of plant or animal
tissue from the inactive or inert components using selective solvents in standard extraction
procedures. The products so obtained from plants are relatively impure liquids, semisolids or
powders intended only for oral or external use. So extraction continues to be of considerable
interest in order to obtain improved yields of drug derived from plant and animal sources.
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Solvent extraction
Solvent extraction also known as liquid-liquid extraction and partitioning, is a
method to separate compounds based on their relative solubilities in two different
immiscible liquids, usually water and an organic solvent. It is an extraction of a substance
from one liquid phase into another liquid phase. It is a basic technique in chemical
laboratories, where it is performed using a separatory funnel. In other words, this is the
separation of a substance from a mixture by preferentially dissolving that substance in a
suitable solvent. Solvent extraction may be made use analytically for concentrating or
rejecting a particular substance, or for the separation of mixtures. This process usually
separates a soluble compound from an insoluble compound. Solvent extraction is used in
nuclear processing, ore processing, production of fine organic compounds, processing of
perfumes and other industries. Thus, although the method can be used for extraction and
preconcentration of a wide range of non volatile or semi volatile species from water using
only routine laboratory equipments, its use is decreasing in most situations because solvents
of the required purity tend to be expensive, and can also cause problems with proper
disposal after use.
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a sample preparation step for analytical purposes, or on a larger scale to either strip
unwanted material from a product (e.g. decaffeination) or collect a desired product (e.g.
essential oils). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most used supercritical fluid, sometimes
modified by co-solvents such as ethanol or methanol. Extraction conditions for supercritical
CO2 are above the critical temperature of 31C and critical pressure of 74 bar. Addition of
modifiers may slightly alter this. Supercritical extraction mostly uses carbon dioxide at high
pressure to extract the high value products from natural materials. Unlike other processes,
the extraction process leaves no solvent residue behind. Moreover the CO2 is non-toxic, nonflammable, odorless, tasteless, inert, and inexpensive. Due to its low critical temperature
31C, carbon dioxide is known to be perfectly adapted in food, aromas, essential oils and
nutraceutical industries.
Supercritical fluid
A supercritical fluid is any substance at a temperature and pressure above its critical
point. It can diffuse through solids like a gas, and dissolve materials like a liquid.
Additionally, close to the critical point, small changes in pressure or temperature result in
large changes in density, allowing many properties of a supercritical fluid to be "fine-tuned".
Supercritical fluids are suitable as a substitute for organic solvents in a range of industrial
and laboratory processes. Carbon dioxide and water are the most commonly used
supercritical fluids, being used for decaffeination and power generation, respectively. CO2 is
the kind of extraction solvents for botanicals. It leaves no toxic residue behind. Its extraction
properties can be widely and precisely manipulated with subtle changes in pressure and
temperature.
There are 2 types of CO2 extraction -
Supercritical extraction
It involves heating the CO2 to above 870F and pumping it above 1100 psi. Usually,
this is between 6000-10000 psi. Supercritical fluid CO2 can best be described as a dense fog
when CO2 is used in a dense liquid state. Low-pressure CO2 is often the best method for
producing high quality botanical extracts. CO2 loading rate in this state means that you have
to pump many volumes of CO2 through botanical. The loading rate is typically 10-40
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volumes. For this reason, it is important to have pumped CO2, which has a much faster
loading rate 2-10 volumes and a wide range of uses.
(ii)
(iii) Supercritical fluids have solvent power similar to light hydrocarbons for most
of the solutes. However, fluorinated compounds are often more soluble in
supercritical CO2 than in hydrocarbons; this increased solubility is important
for polymerization.
(iv) Solubility increases with increasing density (that is with increasing pressure).
Rapid expansion of supercritical solutions leads to precipitation of a finely
divided solid. This is a key feature of flow reactors.
(v)
The fluids are commonly miscible with permanent gases (e.g. N2 or H2) and
this leads to much higher concentrations of dissolved gases than can be
achieved in conventional solvents.
In general terms, supercritical fluids have properties between those of a gas and a
liquid.
Table 1: Critical properties for some components commonly used as supercritical
fluids
Critical properties of various solvents (Reid et al., 1987)
Solvent
Molecular
weight
(g/mol)
Critical
temperature
(K)
Critical
pressure
MPa (atm)
Critical
density
(g/cm3)
44.01
304.1
7.38 (72.8)
0.469
18.015
647.096
22.064 (217.755)
0.322
Methane (CH4)
16.04
190.4
4.60 (45.4)
0.162
Cont
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Solvent
Molecular
weight
(g/mol)
Critical
temperature
(K)
Critical
pressure
MPa (atm)
Critical
density
(g/cm3)
Ethane (C2H6)
30.07
305.3
4.87 (48.1)
0.203
Propane (C3H8)
44.09
369.8
4.25 (41.9)
0.217
Ethylene (C2H4)
28.05
282.4
5.04 (49.7)
0.215
Propylene (C3H6)
42.08
364.9
4.60 (45.4)
0.232
Methanol (CH3OH)
32.04
512.6
8.09 (79.8)
0.272
Ethanol (C2H5OH)
46.07
513.9
6.14 (60.6)
0.276
Acetone (C3H6O)
58.08
508.1
4.70 (46.4)
0.278
Table 2: Density, diffusivity and viscosity for typical liquids, gases and supercritical
fluids
Comparison of gases, supercritical fluids and liquids
Density (kg/m3)
Viscosity (Pas)
Diffusivity (mm/s)
Gases
10
1-10
Supercritical fluids
100-1000
50-100
0.01-0.1
Liquids
1000
500-1000
0.001
All supercritical fluids are completely miscible with each other so for a mixture, a
single phase can be guaranteed, if the critical point of the mixture is exceeded. The critical
point of a binary mixture can be estimated as the arithmetic mean of the critical temperatures
and pressures of the two components,
Tc (mix) = (Mole fraction A) x TcA + (Mole fraction B) x TcB.
(1)
For greater accuracy, the critical point can be calculated using equations of state,
such as the Peng Robinson, or group contribution methods. Other properties, such as density,
can also be calculated using equations of state.
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Phase diagram
10000
solid
Supercritical
fluid
Pressure (bar)
1000
liquid
100
10
gas
200
250
300
350
400
Temperature (K)
Density (kg/m3)
280 K
800
300 K
310 K
330 K
600
400
400 K
200
0
30
50
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resulting in the discontinuity in the line (vertical dotted line). The system consists of 2
phases in equilibrium, a dense liquid and a low-density gas. As the critical temperature is
approached (300 K), the density of the gas at equilibrium becomes denser, and that of the
liquid lower. At the critical point, (304.1 K and 7.38 MPa (73.8 bar)), there is no difference
in density, and the 2 phases become one fluid phase. Thus, above the critical temperature, a
gas cannot be liquefied by pressure. At slightly above the critical temperature (310 K), in the
vicinity of the critical pressure, the line is almost vertical. A small increase in pressure
causes a large increase in the density of the supercritical phase. Many other physical
properties also show large gradients with pressure near the critical point, e.g. viscosity, the
relative permittivity and the solvent strength, which are all closely related to the density. At
higher temperatures, the fluid starts to behave like a gas, as can be seen in Fig. 2. For carbon
dioxide at 400 K, the density increases almost linearly with pressure.
Many pressurized gases are actually supercritical fluids. For example, nitrogen has a
critical point of 126.2 K (-147C) and 3.4 MPa (34 bar). Therefore, nitrogen in a gas
cylinder above this pressure (or compressed air) is actually a supercritical fluid. These are
more often known as permanent gases. At room temperature, they are well above their
critical temperature, and therefore, behave as a gas, similar to CO2 at 400 K above. However,
they cannot be liquefied by pressure unless cooled below their critical temperature.
Pumps
Carbon dioxide is usually pumped as a liquid, usually below 5C and a pressure of
about 50 bars. The solvent is pumped as a liquid as it is then almost incompressible. As a
supercritical fluid, much of the pump stroke will be "used up" in compressing the fluid,
rather than pumping it. For small-scale extractions (up to a few grams/minute), reciprocating
CO2 pumps or syringe pumps are often used. For larger scale extractions, diaphragm pumps
are most common. The pump heads will usually require cooling, and the CO2 will also be
cooled before entering the pump.
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Pressure vessels
Pressure vessels can range from simple tubing to more sophisticated purpose built
vessels with quick release fittings. The pressure requirement is at least 74 bars, and most
extractions are conducted at less than 350 bar. However, sometimes, higher pressures will be
needed, such as extraction of vegetable oils, where pressures of 800 bars are sometimes
required for complete miscibility of the two phases.
The vessel must be equipped with a means of heating. It can be placed inside an
oven for small vessels, or oil or electrically heated jacket for larger vessels. Care must be
taken if rubber seals are used on the vessel, as the CO2 may dissolve in the rubber, causing
swelling, and the rubber will rupture on depressurization.
Pressure maintenance
The pressure in the system must be maintained from the pump right through the
pressure vessel. In smaller systems (up to about 10 mL/min), a simple restrictor can be used.
This can be either a capillary tube cut to length, or a needle valve, which can be adjusted to
maintain pressure at different flow rates. In larger systems a backpressure regulator will be
used, which maintains pressure upstream of the regulator by means of a spring, compressed
air, or electronically driven valve. Whichever is used, heating must be supplied, as the
adiabatic expansion of the CO2 results in significant cooling. This is problematic, if water or
other extracted material is present in the sample, as this may freeze in the restrictor or valve
and cause blockages.
Collection
The supercritical solvent is passed into a vessel at lower pressure than the extraction
vessel. The density, and thus, dissolving power, of supercritical fluids varies sharply with
pressure, and hence, the solubility in the lower density CO2 is much lower, and the material
precipitates for collection. It is possible to fractionate the dissolved material using a series of
vessels at reducing pressure. The CO2 can be recycled or depressurized to atmospheric
pressure and vented. For analytical SFE, the pressure is usually dropped to atmospheric, and
now the gaseous carbon dioxide is bubbled through the solvent to trap the precipitated
components.
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heat must be provided to prevent excessive cooling. For small-scale extractions, such as for
analytical purposes, it is usually sufficient to pre-heat the fluid in a length of tubing inside
the oven containing the extraction cell. The restrictor can be electrically heated, or even
heated with a hair dryer. For larger systems, the energy required during each stage of the
process can be calculated using the thermodynamic properties of the supercritical fluid.
Concentration
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Concentration
active site are sometimes significant, but not dealt in detail here. Fig. 4 shows the stages
during extraction from a spherical particle where at the start of the extraction, the level of
extractant is equal across the whole sphere Fig. 4(a). As extraction commences, material is
initially extracted from the edge of the sphere, and the concentration in the center is
unchanged Fig 4(b). As the extraction progresses, the concentration in the center of the
sphere drops as the extractant diffuses towards the edge of the sphere Fig. 4(c).
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from an active site. The recovery flattens off, and if the 100% value is not known, then it is
hard to tell that extraction is less than complete.
% Recovery
100%
Time
Optimization
The optimum will depend on the purpose of the extraction. For an analytical
extraction is to determine, say, antioxidant content of a polymer, then the essential factors
are complete extraction in the shortest time. However, for production of an essential oil
extract from a plant, then quantity of CO2 used will be a significant cost, and "complete"
extraction is not required; a yield of 70 - 80% perhaps being sufficient to provide economic
returns. In another case, the selectivity may be more important, and a reduced rate of
extraction will be preferable if it provides greater discrimination. Therefore, few comments
can be made, which are universally applicable. However, some general principles are
outlined below.
Maximizing diffusion
This can be achieved by increasing the temperature, swelling the matrix, or reducing
the particle size. Matrix swelling can sometimes be increased by increasing the pressure of
the solvent, and by adding modifiers to the solvent. Some polymers and elastomers in
particular are swelled dramatically by CO2, with diffusion being increased by several orders
of magnitude in some cases.
Maximizing solubility
Generally, higher pressure will increase solubility. The effect of temperature is less
certain, as close to the critical point, increase in the temperature causes a decrease in density,
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and hence, dissolving power. At pressures well above the critical pressure, solubility is
likely to increase with temperature. Addition of low levels of modifiers (sometimes called
entrainers), such as methanol and ethanol, can also significantly increase solubility,
particularly of more polar compounds.
Advantages
Environmental improvement and reduced product contamination
SFE is an alternative to liquid extraction using solvents such as hexane or
dichloromethane. There will always be some residual solvent left in the extract and matrix,
and there is always some level of environmental contamination from their use. In contrast,
carbon dioxide is easy to remove simply by reducing the pressure, leaving almost no trace,
and it is also environmentally benign. The use of SFE with CO2 is approved by the Soil
Association for organic products. The CO2 used is largely a by-product of industrial
processes or brewing, and its use in SFE does not cause any extra emissions.
Selectivity
The solvent strength of a supercritical fluid can be varied by change in the pressure
and a lesser extent in the temperature.
For example, volatile oils can be extracted from a plant with low pressures (100 bar),
whereas liquid extraction would also remove lipids. Lipids can be removed using pure CO2
at higher pressures, and then phospholipids can be removed by adding ethanol to the solvent.
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Speed
It is a fast process and completed in 10 to 60 minutes. It is a diffusion-based process,
with the solvent required to diffuse into the matrix, and the extracted material to diffuse out
of the matrix into the solvent. Diffusivities are much faster in supercritical fluids than in
liquids, and therefore extraction can occur faster. Also, there is no surface tension and
viscosities are much lower than in liquids, so the solvent can penetrate into small pores
within the matrix inaccessible to liquids.
Purity
A supercritical fluid can be separated from analyte by simply releasing pressure.
Supercritical fluids are cheap, inert and nontoxic. Thus, they are readily disposed off
after an extraction is completed by allowing them to evaporate into the atmosphere.
Recovery
Recovery of analytes becomes simple.
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Tsung Min Kuo and Harold Gardner (Eds.) Lipid Biotechnology, Marcel Dekker Inc.
New York (2002) pp. 663-687.
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Calculation of Density, Enthalpy and Entropy for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide with
Examples, http://www.criticalprocesses.com/ Calculation % 20 of % 20 density, % 20
enthalpy % 20 and % 20 entropy % 20o f % 20 carbon % 20dioxide.htm. Retrieved,
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Accepted : 20.02.2010