Limitations of Supercritical (CO2) Extraction

CO2 extraction vs traditional extraction.

CONs of CO2 extraction:

• Liquid CO2 behaves as a non-polar solvent, so extraction of polar compounds cannot be done properly; only non-polar and slightly polar organic compounds of low molecular weight are soluble in supercritical fluid
• Poorly extracted compounds include hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, acetones, esters, terpenes, carboxylic acids, some amino groups
• Substances that CO2 doesn’t extract at all (insoluble to supercritical) include sugars, proteins, polyphenols, tannins, waxes, inorganic salts, chlorophyll, carotenoids, citric acid, malic acid, high molecular weight compounds

• Cost is high and affects practicality due to the expense

References:

Essentials of Botanical Extraction: Principles and Applications By Subhash C. Mandal, Vivekananda Mandal, Anup Kumar Das

Flavours, their Encapsulation and Release. INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF LISBON, PORTUGAL