Laboratory Supercritical CO2 is a modern facility, unique in Poland, which uses non-conventional properties of compressed carbon dioxide in super- and subcritical condition both in division and in extraction processes.
Thanks to its intermediate properties between gas and liquid, supercritical CO2 is used as an extraction solvent, and the mobile phase in chromatography, allowing for multiple shortening of the time of analysis and division. Similarly to gas, it has outstanding mixing properties, low surface tension and viscosity, and it enables very efficient mass exchange. On the other hand, its heat capacity and density has similar as that of liquids. In addition, its properties can be controlled with small alterations of pressure and temperature, which affect the solvent abilities of CO2 and allow for the division or extraction of a variety of chemical compounds.
Contact:
e-mail: badania@ppnt.poznan.pl
The laboratory is equipped with all devices for the purpose of extraction from solids (e.g. pharmaceuticals, etheric oils, unsaturated fat acids, naturaceuticals, herb extracts, spices, antioxidants, obtaining of natural colour agents and other). Extraction in supercritical CO2 thanks to low critical parameters of CO2, and particularly due to the good mass exchange and lack of diffusion barrier, allows for running the process in mild conditions and much more effectively than the typical Soxhlet’s extraction, without causing the decay of extracted compounds (especially the ones vulnerable to extreme temperatures) and shortening the process time greatly. The laboratory offers solids extraction services and optimisation of process conditions.
The offer of the laboratory is intended mainly for companies and factories of the food, pharmaceutical, herbal, distillery and cosmetic industries, as well as research institutions dealing with the acquisition and analyses of natural substances.
Selected services:
- acquisition of natural substances, colouring agents, pharmaceuticals, naturaceuticals, active biological compounds,
- extraction of agents from medicines, fat-soluble vitamins, extraction of antioxidants,
- acquisition of ether oils, flavour and smell enhancers,
- removal of undesired ingredients by means of extraction from a solid,
- selection of parameters and optimisation of the extraction process,
- drying of materials in supercritical CO2,
- extraction from multi-particle compounds.
Semi-preparative chromatograph with fraction adjustment enables the division and purification of natural and synthesised compounds with CO2 as the mobile phase. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a hybrid of gas chromatography (GC)
and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and it enables the subdivision of a much wider selection of compounds. The polarity of the mobile phase is controlled by adding a so-called co-solvent, as well as altering temperature and pressure. The laboratory is equipped with a series of various chromatograph columns, both of the analytical and preparative type.
The laboratory owns an ultra-pressure chromatograph (UPC2) and an analytical-preparative chromatograph coupled with a quadruple mass detector, which enable the qualitative and quantitative analysis of many types of compounds (e.g. agrochemicals/pesticides, fat-solvent vitamins, transient metal complexes, natural compounds, taste enhancers, fats, colouring agents, peptides, steroids, carotenoids, ketones, aldehydes, antioxidants, phospholipids, ether oils, perfluorised compounds, silicon-organic compounds and many others). Thanks to good resolution of signal separation, short analysis time, good repeatability and the lack of need of derivatisation of samples, SFC chromatography is an interesting alternative for liquid or gas chromatography. It also enables the analysis of compounds, marking of which is normally difficult. The coupling with the quadruple mass detector allows for the comprehensive qualitative marking of a compound. The mass detector enables Full Scan Mass and Selected Ion Recording (SIR).
The scope of services of the analytical-preparative laboratory is dedicated to the pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, food production and herbal industry, and it may be a valuable tool for R&D units.
Selected services:
- qualitative and quantitative analysis, purification and division of natural compounds,
- isolation and marking of naturaceuticals, active herbal substances,
- qualitative and quantitative analysis of fats, phospholipids, vitamins, antioxidants, bioanalysis,
- analysis of composition of ether oils, fragrances, surfactants, colouring agents,
- division of chiral compounds,
- analysis of optically active enantiomeric compounds,
- analysis of the OLED composition,
- marking of oligomers.
Waters MV-10 ASFE extractor
Waters MV-10 ASFE extractor includes a Fluid Delivery Module which enables feeding of CO2 under 400 bar and a co-solvent modifying the polarity of CO2, and therefore the extraction conditions; column thermostat serving up to 10 extraction vessels 25ml each; automated back pressure regulator; collector of the extraction products from receivers and make-up pump.
Waters Investigator SFC System
analytical-preparative chromatograph with an autosampler equipped with a set of chromatographic columns for the both operating modes. The set includes: binary FDM pump for supercritical CO2 and co-solvent (Fluid Delivery Module); autosampler 2×48 ith a dosing loop of 200ul (semi-preparative system) or 10ul (analytical system); column thermostat; ABPR (automated back pressure regulator which maintains the operating parameters); Circulating Bath for FDM; supporting pump; analytical fraction collector; UV-Vis with a photodiode array (PDA), model 2998, and a quadruple mass detector SQ Detector 2 for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Waters Acquity UPC2 System
Ultra high pressure liquid chromatograph (UPLC) for analytical purposes, working on supercritical CO2 as the moving phase. The set includes: pump with binary mixer of solvents; autosampler with dosing loop; oven with column manager; ABPR (automatic back pressure regulator), UV-Vis detector with photodiode array (PDA).
Supercritical CO2 pump
Supercritical CO2 pump enabling the achievement of 680 bar (10.000psi) output pressure and flow from 0,01 to 20ml/min. Intended for feeding supercritical phase to extractors, reactors and supercritical drying devices.
The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.