ANALYTICAL-PROCESS SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION - A SYNERGESTIC COMBINATION FOR SOLVING ANALYTICAL AND LABORATORY-SCALE PROBLEMS

Identical principles govern the theory and application of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) whether they are applied in the field of chemical engineering or analytical chemistry, We have used these principles to develop instrumentation and methodology that can be used to solve a wide range of analytical and laboratory problems, The development of larger scale extractors for analytical use will be presented, including modules which allow the extraction of larger samples, multiple samples simultaneously, and highly viscous materials. Key components in the design of these extractors, such as fluid delivery systems, collection devices, and cosolvent addition schemes, will also be described. This equipment and the components have been integrated into a laboratory-wide extraction and processing system.