Extraction of natural substances with dense gases.

An overview of the solvent power of dense gases is given. The properties of these novel solvents are described and the specific advantages of carbon dioxide discussed. New qualitative and quantitative procedures for the rapid determination of solubilities are described for several interesting classes of natural substances. These include fatty oils, steroids, alkaloids, flavor and aroma substances, which documents the versatility of the new extraction procedure in many practical applications.