Article
Article
Supercritical fluid
Article By:
Dixon, David J. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota.
Johnston, Keith Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
Lemert, Richard Chemical Engineering Department, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
Last reviewed:June 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757382
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- Supercritical fluid, published June 2014:Download PDF
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Any fluid at a temperature and a pressure above its critical point; also, a fluid above its critical temperature regardless of pressure. Below the critical point the fluid can coexist in both gas and liquid phases, but above the critical point (Fig. 1) there can be only one phase. Supercritical fluids are of interest because their properties are intermediate between those of gases and liquids and because these properties are readily adjustable. See also: Critical phenomena; Phase equilibrium
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