Separation and Extraction of Functional Materials by Using Supercritical Fluids-Application to Natural Materials and Polymers-

The extraction and separation of natural materials and polymers are reviewed. Functional components from plant materials are focused as natural supplements or functional food additives. Supercritical carbon dioxide has been used in extraction processes of bioactive components such as antioxidants and vitamins. Higher pressure and higher temperature process could improve the efficiency of the extraction due to the significantly enhanced solubility. Subcritical water is also promising solvent for the extraction of natural materials.Supercritical fluids can be used for the fractionation of various polymers based on the pressure or temperature dependence of the solubility. Monomers and oligomers are extracted from polymers with supercritical fluids to purify the polymers.