CO2 eases extraction of plant oils
15 Jan 2000
The natural association between plants and carbon dioxide has prompted a British supplier of byproducts of aromatic plants to investigate the suitability of the gas as a solvent for plant extracts. Such oils are employed in personal care and medical products.
Copel, based in Naunton, Gloucestershire, decided against conventional extraction techniques such as steam distillation. Instead, managing director Roger Michael was attracted to the use of supercritical CO2. Copel developed a commercial scale supercritical CO2 plant.
The principle of operation is as follows: an extractor vessel is loaded with baskets of the raw material, purged of air and filled with CO2 liquid and the gas pressure is raised to 73bar, `pressing' the material so the liquid extracts are absorbed. The specific gravity of the saturated CO2 is lowered and the extract recovered, while the stripped gas returns to the process.
Michael is confident that there is a market for the CO2 production technology and is offering interested parties a day's viewing and instruction in the technique at his Cotswolds base for £5000.
202 ON ENQUIRY CARD
