Gravimetric Separator
This is the first Separator (S1). It applies the gravimetric effect to separate the extract in fractions. This separator is heated at set-point temperature.
When the mixture of CO2 and chemical compounds extracted are directed in this separation, the solvent’s temperature and pressure goes down thanks to a particular valve, which is called “Lamination Valve“. With this operation, the supercritical CO2 becomes a gas and it loses its solvent properties and so it releases the solutes that, for the gravity’s effect, fall down, in the bottom of the separator, ready to be collected.
In this separator the operator will collect all the heavier compounds, but to remove the lower compounds, water included, other operations of separation have to be conducted, with other separators.
