Subcritical Water - A Green Chemistry Extraction Process

Subcritical Water Extraction is considered an environmentally responsible "green chemistry" due to some key operation considerations:

1. Minimal chemical consumption during the extraction process (water is the main solvent used).

2. Power usage for subcritical water extraction is less than that used for an alternative chemical extraction. It is also less than that used for supercritical fluid extraction.

3. The main waste product is water. This can be reprocessed and recycled for further extraction activity (a closed circuit operation).

4. Sustainability: water is a renewable resource that has minimal impact compared to other extraction methods.