Application of supercritical fluid extraction in industrial waste treatment: Thermodynamic modeling and design

The use of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) as a separation process for the treatment of industrial wastewater is examined, The performance of the LCVM EoS/G(E) model in thermodynamic modeling of the systems CO2/H2O/organic pollutant (aromatics, phenol, cresol), including the presence of a cosolvent, is evaluated. The design of a unit that processes the water/phenol system with carbon dioxide, with and without a cosolvent, is also examined. The use of a cosolvent is a very important parameter for the SFE process since it can cause a significant decrease in the total cost of the unit. Application of the process appears limited due to the lack of predictive models and the high cost of equipment.