What are supercritcal CO2 processes?

Composite particles, including coated or controlled-release particles, can be produced by several routes, including wet and dry methods. In most recent methods the composite particles are produced by applying the supercritical fluids, in particular carbon dioxide (ScCO2 ). CO2 is an ideal processing fluid due to its relatively mild critical conditions (Tc =31.1ºC and Pc = 72.9 atm). Furthermore, carbon dioxide is non-flammable, non-toxic and inexpensive.

The ScCO2 rig is designed to produce the composite particles by applying ScCO2 in the role of solvent, antisolvent, or solute. RESS (Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution ) is a solvent-based process. GAS (Gas Anti-Solvent), SAS (Supercritical Anti-Solvent), and ASES (Aerosol Solvent Extraction System) are antisolvent-based. Finally, PGSS (Particle from Gas Saturated Solution) is a solute-base process. All of the above mentioned processes can be applied by this rig to produce coated, encapsulated or implaned active materials.