Supercritical Fluids at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
 
About Supercritical Fluid
Our Capabilities
  • Basic research
      High-pressure NMR
    Micelles/microemulsions
    Ion-water structure in hydrothermal water
  • Technology Applications
      Micelles/Microemulsions
    Parts/Garment Cleaning
    RESS
    RTDS
    Textile Processing
    Water Oxidation/Synthesis
    Membrane
  • Resources and facilities

    • Working with us and licensing opportunities
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    Review date: July 24, 2003
    PNNL-SA-27883

    Supercritical Fluid Research
    at PNNL
    Collage At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) understanding supercritical fluids (e.g., carbon dioxide, water, ethane) on a molecular level and their intermolecular interactions has led to new separations and extraction technologies and novel chemical synthesis/reaction methodologies. Our on-going research in supercritical fluids at PNNL is aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing waste, providing a basis for improving existing industrial processes.

    Supercritical fluids are effective cleaning agents for parts, printed circuit boards, and garments. Supercritical fluids will be used as environmentally benign solvents in chemical processes of the future. The importance of supercritical fluids to hydrothermal oxidation, organic synthesis, extractions, and separations led to an emphasis on these research areas at the PNNL. The supercritical fluids group maintains and continues to develop state-of-the-art capabilities in the molecular level investigation of solvation dynamics and in chemical technologies occurring in supercritical fluid solvents.

    Research focuses on the following technology areas:

    • Separations and extractions
      • Reverse micelles/microemulsions
      • Metal complexation
      • Membrane/ultrafiltration
    • Catalysis/chemical reactions
      • Organometallics
      • CO2 sequestration
    • Parts/garment cleaning
    • Materials synthesis
      • Rapid expansion of supercritical fluid solvents (RESS)
      • Rapid thermal decomposition of precursors in solutions (RTDS)
      • Aqueous injection of a supercritical expansion (AISE)
    • Supercritical water oxidation/synthesis
    • Textile processing

    For information about supercritical fluid capabilities at PNNL,
    please contact Clement Yonker, at (509) 372-4748, clem.yonker@pnl.gov.