Carbon dioxide is used in numerous processes in the chemical and cosmetic industries as well as in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Common applications are extraction or purification processes. Here, the CO2 acts as a supercritical solvent, for example, for the extraction of natural substances.
Other possible uses include use as a refrigerant, as a protective gas during welding or as an aid in confectioning processes. Carbon dioxide has a large volumetric cooling capacity and is much more environmentally friendly compared to other refrigerants. CO2 is a raw material for many chemical syntheses. The disposal and storage of CO2 is increasingly important for the energy industry.
Supercritical carbon dioxide is liquid and has special properties that are intermediate between liquid and gas. It has the density of a liquid and the viscosity of gas. It can be used very well as a solvent. The density is adjustable over a wide range. A higher density improves the solubility of many substances.
By supplying the critical carbon dioxide, the desired substances dissolve. It penetrates very well into other substances and is suitable as an extraction or distraction agent. In order to feed liquid CO2 into the process of high-pressure extraction, pumps are necessary which are suitable for the critical temperature and the critical pressure of carbon dioxide.
Oscillating displacement pumps designed and engineered specifically for the extraction of critical carbon dioxide meet the requirements. They work at pressures of up to 1,000 bar and handle high mass flows.
CO2 extraction offers numerous advantages over other chemical extraction processes. The most important are:
The extraction of liquid carbon dioxide under high pressure places special demands on the pump technology. Wetted parts in liquid end of the pump are optimized for this purpose. The arising compression heat is dissipated by cooling channels in the stuffing box barrel as well as in the valve block.
Flexible plunger coupling will keep the alignment between liquid and power end in an optimal range. Stuffing boxes are equipped with flushing ports to remove debris, to lubricate and to cool down the stuffing box internals.
For CO2 extraction and numerous other CO2 applications, URACA offers a wide range of specially developed high-pressure technology.
Critical carbon dioxide extraction and purification processes require special high-pressure pumps that can handle the unique properties of the liquid gas. URACA is the ideal partner for these applications and has a lot of know-how in this field. Specially designed plunger pumps supply the numerous CO2 applications of the chemical industry as well as the pharmaceutical or food industry. If you need information about the applications, contact us now. The URACA experts are happy to advise and assist you.
