Supercritical fluid extraction: A new performant analytical tool for sample treatment

Advantages of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) over classical methods of sample preparation (rapidity, selectivity, low consumption of solvent, easiness of automation) are at the origin of its rapid development during the last years. For a given solute, the extraction recovery depends on the characteristics of both the supercritical fluid state (temperature, pressure, density, presence of polar modifier) and the matrix (texture, water content, particule size). A particular attention must always be paid to the system of collection of extracted solutes. It is necessary, before making supplementary studies, to check thai the recuperation of solutes is quantitative. The study of the influence of flow-rate on the extraction recovery allows the determination of the extraction-rate limiting process and, therefore, the optimization of the extraction. Recent applications of SFE in the field of environmental, food, biological and polymeric matrix are reported.