Although supercritial fluid (SCF) technology is now widely used in extraction and purification processes (in the petrochemical, food and pharmaceuticals industries), this book is the first to address the new application of cleaning. The objective is to provide a roadmap for readers who want to know whether SCF technology can meet their own processing and cleaning needs. It is particularly helpful to those striving to balance the requirements for a clean product and a clean environment. The interdisciplinary subject matter will appeal to scientists and engineers in all specialties ranging from materials and polymer sciences to chemistry and physics. It is also useful to those developing new processes for other applications, and references given at the end of each chapter provide links to the wider body of SCF literature. The first four chapters consider principles governing SCF processing, detailing issues such as solubility, design for cleanability, and the dynamics of particle removal. The next three chapters discuss surfactants and microemulsions, SCF interaction with polymers, and the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) as a cleaning solvent.
The closing chapters focus on more practical considerations such as scaleup, equipment costs, and financial analysis. CONTENTS: The Supercritical State; Solubility in Supercritical Fluid Cleaning; Design for Cleanability; Dynamics of Particle Removal by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide; Surfactants and Microemulsions in Supercritical Fluids; Evaluation of Supercritical Fluid Interactions with Polymeric Materials; A Survey on the Use of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Cleaning Solvent; Precision Cleaning with Supercritical Fluid: A Case Study; Scaleup Considerations; Equipment Cost Considerations and Financial Analysis of Supercritical Fluid Processing; A Practical Guide to Supercritical Fluid Cleaning.