ABSTRACT
This chapter is an overview of the current state of the science and technology of supercritical fluids. The principal objective is to acquaint the reader with the unusual properties of supercritical fluids, and
with the ways some basic principles are essential in understanding the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique and the independence of relevant process parameters that are exploited for a variety of applications in cases of both SFE and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in the food industry. The unusual solvent properties of supercritical fluids, together with their thermodynamic behavior near a critical point, are explained within the framework of fluid-phase diagrams. Characterizing the behavior of supercritical fluids still offers many challenges to scientists. Engineers have exploited the peculiarities of supercritical fluids to great advantage to design new instruments and processes. These proceedings are an example of the dialogue between scientists and engineers that is needed to deepen the understanding of this interesting medium and to widen the field of applications.
