Dense-phase fluids are substances above their critical temperature: in this phase, the
characteristics and properties of the fluid are intermediate between those of a liquid and those
of a gas.
The generic definition of dense-phase groups the various phases of a substance ranging from liquid
to subcritical to supercritical. In these phases, CO2 is ideal for replacing organic solvents in
various industrial processes, offering an alternative that does not harm the environment.
The possible sectors of industrial application of dense-phase fluids are several and range from food
to pharmaceutics, from the chemical to the agroindustrial, and others.
Within each sector there are virtually unlimited possibilities for use, and the gradual involvement
of researchers, universities and industrial organizations is leading to the discovery of many other
possible applications.
Widespread interest for these substances is due to the possibility that they offer to reduce the use
of organic solvents, ensuring a distinctly higher extract quality by virtue of the absence of
residues of solvent and to the low temperatures that are used, which do not harm the product.