Applications as reaction media
Industrial applications of supercritical fluids and implementation equipments

Due to their scalable properties, supercritical fluids are particularly attractive reaction media. In organic synthesis, CO₂ is the most widely used solvent despite its limited solvent power with respect to polar substrates; light alkanes, mainly propane, and dimethyl ether are also employed; water and ammonia are reserved for special applications under extreme temperature and pressure conditions. Finally, the implementation of new polymerization routes using micelles or emulsions in a supercritical fluid (usually CO₂) are also under study.

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