Environmentally Friendly Process and Equipment for Solid-fluid Extraction

This invention relates to a continuous solids/fluid contacting process and equipment in which appropriate solids are contacted with a fluid that may be either liquid or gaseous, or a combination thereof, under elevated pressure and optionally elevated or reduced temperature.

More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the contacting of solids and fluids under elevated pressure and optionally elevated or reduced temperature in order to conduct an extraction process, especially a continuous supercritical extraction process, in which one or more components of a subdivided solid are extracted using a fluid under pressure.

• It is a replacement for the hexane extraction process that is more environmentally friendly and "green".
• Supercritical fluids are suitable as a substitute for organic solvents in a range of industrial and laboratory processes that are typically carried out in a batch procedure.