SciMed has over 20 years direct experience of Supercritical CO2 processes.

Together with our partners Core Separations, SciMed can offer a complete range of systems, often tailored to suit very specific and one-off design requirements, as well as standard “off the shelf” solutions.

All the systems provided by SciMed are modular and can therefore be modified with ease, as and when requirements change.

SciMed has supplied numerous systems for all Supercritical CO2 applications including:

• Reactions in Supercritical CO2
• SFE: Supercritical Extraction solutions for solids as well as counter column systems for continuous extraction of liquids
• Particle generation using CO2 as a solvent (RESS)
• Particle generation using CO2 as an anti-solvent (SAS, OR PCA).

A typical SFE ( Supercritical Fluid Extraction) system consists of the following components:

• CO2 pump – Ideal for high pressure, supercritical fluids, and pulseless flow applications.
• Co-solvent pump – Pumps a co-solvent as a percentage of the carbon dioxide flow rate up to its maximum flow rate and pressure rating. Adding a co-solvent like food grade ethanol allows one to extract polar compounds.
• Cooling heat exchanger – Cool and liquefy CO2 before it enters the pump for maximum efficiency.
• Flow meter – Located on the inlet of the carbon dioxide pump, the pump, for flow control, uses measured liquefied CO2 mass output from the flow meter.
• Heat exchanger – Located upstream from the vessel to ensure that the fluid is heated prior to entering the vessel.
• Extraction vessels – Caps with spring-loaded seal enhances safety, and lend to automation for efficient loading and unloading of large vessels. There can be up to two in a system.
• Automated BPR – Motor-driven and temperature-controlled to compensate for cooling during depressurization. A built-in pressure sensor provides closed loop feedback for control and pressure alarm monitoring.
• Collection vessels with manual BPR – The mixed fluid is introduced into the high pressure collection vessels, efficiently separated, and collected at the bottom of the vessels. There are three in a system, allowing for efficient collection of different extracts by varying pressure between collection vessels with the MBPRs.
• Recycler – Reclaims vented CO2 from extraction process. This system consists of storage vessel with level sensor for CO2 storage, level sensor module to display level, condensing heat exchanger, condensing cooling bath, and valves. The system also features a pressure relief valve that can be piped to vent to relieve pressure in case of over-pressurization or overfill conditions.

These rigs are available at various volumes. Some rigs can be designed to allow a combination of the above named applications, all on one rig.

Scimed – An SFE Journey 2000-2020

Over the last 20 years Scimed has been providing SFE technology into a number of different industries. We have worked with some of the pioneering providers to offer customised solutions from Thar instruments later acquired by Waters in 2012 to Separex which was created by Michel Perrut.

We have continued to develop our in-house capabilities to offer custom solutions which are integrated here in the UK. This has allowed our customers to work even closer with us to create a custom solution to their problems. Liaising with notifying bodies we create high-tech, high pressure assemblies that compile with the current PED safety legislation. All our systems are CE marked by an accredited NoB after vigorous testing.

Scimed offer some of the most advanced and up to date technologies in the field of supercritical fluids offering solutions under a range of pressures exceeding 1000 bar. Working closely with our partners, Core Separations based in Dallas we have expertise in almost every aspect of supercritical processing.

Now in 2020 we are looking to continue pushing the boundaries of the technologies to help our customers innovate.

SciMed’s Product Specialists can provide full customer support, including method development, contract research, service and application support.